Percy Brice Hampton

Born: 1882
Died: December ___, 1927
This history of Percy Hampton was told by his daughter, Theresa Lucille Hampton on 10/14/03.

Percy Brice Hampton was born in Cave Springs, Alabama. He married Matilda Cole in 1904. They moved to Russellville, Alabama where their first child, James Hampton, was born. The family soon moved to Sheffield, Alabama where Percy took a job at the brickyard. Juanita was the first of their children born in Sheffield in 1907. She was followed by 8 more children: Ola Mae, Hattie Lee Alstine, Osceola Parthenia, Theresa Lucille, John Thomas, Percy Brice, Annie Mabel, and Calvin Louis. Juanita died in 1926 from tuberculosis. Percy worked at King Steel Company in Sheffield, right across the street (out the back door) from his home. The company was owned by a white man named Mr. King who hired mostly blacks in the factory, except the foremen which were white. The Ku Klux Klan would burn a cross at his factory, sometimes 2 or 3 times a week, because King hired blacks.
Percy was also superintendent of the Sunday school of First Baptist Church of Sheffield (on 20th Street), where his father, James Hampton, was the first pastor. He held this position for many years. The kids always went to Sunday school with him after which he would buy the kids an ice cream cone. He would bring home fig newtons for the kids after work. When there was an incident in the factory, they would blow a whistle. "My mother heard the whistle blow one day and found out that our father had been injured." The kids were at school when he was injured. A pulley had broken and a large piece of steel fell on him, injuring his legs and head. There was no place for blacks to be kept at the hospital, so he was taken to the hospital by car, bandaged up and sent home. "I remember he had bandages around his head." The kids were sent to Miss Lula Berry's house while Percy was being cared for after arriving home from a shorter than needed hospital visit. He lived for several months after the injury which damaged his legs and head but he was bedridden, and never recovered from his injuries. His wife, sisters, neighbors and friends nursed him. "There was no such thing as a nurse" to come to the home. Percy passed in December, 1927. As was the custom, he was taken to the funeral home for preparation, then taken back to his home for viewing. A black wreath was placed on the door of the home to indicate that a family member had passed. His funeral was held at the First Baptist Church. Percy was survived by his wife and 9 children. Matilda told her oldest son James that he now had to be the father. Matilda took her husband's position as superitendent of the Sunday School.

Sons of Percy Brice Hampton in Armed Forces:
John T and Percy, Jr. were drafted into the armed forces in 1941. John T's form listed him as "black" and he told Matilda, "I'm black but not black enought to be called black." He went back to the registration office and they changed his form to "Negro." He was in the "CB's", a section of the Navy. Percy, who was in the army, never went overseas. He was in NJ preparing to go overseas when d-day was declared. Once a white woman approached the youngest son, Calvin and said "how come you aren't in the service?" Calvin replied "I can't help when I was born." On D-Day Lucille and Hattie took Hattie's record player to a friend's house and danced all night long. One of the favorite records was "Going down slow." Once Matilda heard Lucille singing it and popped her in the head and said, "You have no business singing that." Lucille said "Hattie sings it." Matilda replied, "Hattie's grown."

Oldest Son Union Organizer
James Hampton, Percy's oldest son,was an international organizer for the AFL-CIO at the time of the war and did not serve in the armed forces. He had a car. He was harassed by whites because he had a car. When the TVA was built in Alabama he worked as a ditch digger (the only job for blacks). One day a union organizer named Mr. Turner approached James and asked how he would like to travel with him to organize unions and make working conditions better for his people. He agreed and travelled throughout the country. Mr. Turner was his boss until Turner died. The next boss, told James to "tip his hat" when he greeted him each morning. James told the new boss "I'll go back to digging ditches before I tip my hat." So he quit the AFL-CIO went to work for the Chemical Worker's union. His territory was the Southeast US. His headquarters was in Atlanta. His preached the funeral for his boss, Mr. Thomas from Mississippi. James and his wife Ardell sent James' sister Lucille to Burchette's Beauty School in Memphis. They also sent Mabel to college at Clark College, Atlanta. His mother, Matilda called him "the prettiest baby I ever had."

Family Respected by Local Police Chief
Matilda was sick once and James went to see Mr. Abrams the principal to let youngest daughter Mabel come home to see their sick mother. Words were exchanged including Abrams' affirming that Matilda was "a liar", and James ended up punching him in the eye. Chief Howard came to the Hampton home, but by this time James had gone to Miami. Chief Howard said "just tell him to come by and see me when he gets back." James was not prosecuted for the incident.
In another incident at the Reynolds plant, James and John T. had an encounter that ended with James hitting someone with a shovel. Both brothers ended up in jail, but Police Chief Howard, who respected the Hampton family, let them go.
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