Slaves living in Savannah, Ga., who needed to be hospitalized, were usually sent to the first black hospital in this country, the Georgia Infirmary. The infirmary was chartered on this date in 1832 to provide "for the relief and protection of aged and afflicted Negroes." It remained open until 1973 — nine years after the segregation of hospitals was lifted. Charity Hospital opened in 1896 but still did not provide enough beds to Savannah’s hospitalized blacks, so another small facility was opened in 1926. Interestingly, black funeral homes provided the transportation to hospitals for sick and dying blacks until the city established an ambulance service.

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