*Eliza Pillars Registered Nurses of Mississippi

In 1945, a group of black registered nurses in Jackson, Mississippi saw an urgent need for an organized nurses’ group. The challenges they faced individually were insurmountable at best given the climate for black – and especially black women who dominated the field at that time. The people worked tirelessly to form a group that could provide resources and support for professionals who were so desperately needed in our state. of the committee saw many late-night meetings, which forced them to pool resources to create something bigger than all of them could create individually. The City of Jackson and surrounding areas eventually saw their bold efforts to fruition as the then-dubbed Black Registered Nurses’ Club became a reality. In the late fifties, the name was changed to the Eliza Pillars Registered Nurses’ Club in honor of Miss Eliza Farish Pillars.