Mutual Benefit Societies
Mutual benefit societies provided much-needed assistance and community support to African-Americans during the post-Civil War period through the early twentieth century. These voluntary organizations gave financial, educational, insurance, and other services denied to African-Americans by white-owned businesses. Some served specific sectors of the African-American community such as black Cuban immigrants. With the help of these societies, blacks were able to start businesses, attend to funereal responsibilities, locate and obtain housing, and find access to health care, for examples. Members offered strong moral counseling to fellow members. Since mutual benefit societies relied on dues-paying members, every effort was made to see that they did not succumb to vices that would threaten the societies' financial stability. After the Great Depression, the U.S. government took over many of the functions peformed by mutual benefit societies, and so they gradually faded away.
You can learn more about mutual benefit societies and numerous other topics related to African-American culture in the 2-volume work, Encyclopedia of African American Society. The Encyclopedia spans a wide range of topics including theories, fine arts, literature, history, politics, media, health, education, music, dance, movements, popular culture, sports, and social issues, to name some. The work is ideal for researchers who are looking for an easy-to-understand introduction to this subject area. Every entry also contains lists of works for further reading that serve as good starting points for continuing your research. The Encyclopedia is located in the Cabell Library Reference Collection, call number E185 .E546 2005.
--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Cabell Library