Pearlena Lewis
Pearlena Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 November 1953 |
| Died | July 2001 |
| Occupation | Civil rights activist |
| Known for | Participation in the Woolworth's sit-in in Jackson during the Civil Rights Movement |
Pearlena Lewis (November 25, 1953 – July 2001) was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement as a participant in the Woolworth's sit-in in Jackson.
Early life
As the eldest of seven children, Pearlena Lewis was brought up by her parents, Clarence E. Lewis, a minister, and Margaret Tucker, in the segregated environment of the southern United States.
Lewis described how segregation during her childhood made her feel as though there was something inherently wrong with her. Her father played a crucial role in educating her about segregation, encouraging her not to internalize feelings of hurt or inferiority but to recognize its injustice and take action against it. As Clarence Lewis advanced in his ministerial career, the family became part of what was considered the "black middle class".
Despite this upward mobility, Lewis continued to experience feelings of inadequacy. She recalled observing that "on television, all the commercials featured white people. Magazines showed white faces. All the models were white. Everything seemed to suggest that 'white is right.'"
Deeply engaged in church activities, Lewis was regarded as a leader and role model at school, even though she did not always agree with the expectations placed upon her. Finding employment proved difficult for her; her father prohibited her and her sisters from working as domestic workers for white families due to his distrust of white men.
Sit-in
During her final year of high school, Lewis encountered Medgar Evers at a church service, where he invited her to join the North Jackson Youth Council of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Before committing, Lewis thoroughly investigated the organization. Both she and her friend Corlia Liddell chose to become members, with Liddell elected president and Lewis vice president of the youth council.
Given Lewis’s local ties to Jackson, Evers permitted her involvement in the Woolworth's sit-in. Preparations included strategy meetings held one week prior to coordinate transportation and media communications. Reflecting on their motivation, Lewis stated, "We were just tired of sitting around and listening to adults say, 'Let's try this; let's try that.' I thought we had waited long enough." Meanwhile, picketing activities began at J. C. Penneys as a diversion.
During the sit-in event, Lewis joined forces with two other African American students—Memphis Norman and Anne Moody—alongside John Salter, Jr., a white professor. Each participant had assigned timings for entering and specific seating locations. Outside as a lookout for potential counter-protesters stood Joan Trumpauer (now Mulholland), a white student from Tougaloo College; she later took a seat at the counter alongside Lois Chaffee, a white Tougaloo faculty member.
Although denied service, they remained seated in the section designated for white customers. The group faced verbal harassment including racial slurs which soon escalated into physical assaults. Condiments such as sugar, salt, ketchup, and mustard were poured over them and smeared onto their bodies. Lewis was forcibly pulled from her chair onto the floor but managed to return to her seat through resistance. Both Moody and Chaffee were also dragged from their seats. Norman suffered a punch to the face that knocked him down and was then repeatedly kicked while on the ground. Salter endured a cigarette burn on his neck’s back side, was struck in the jaw with brass knuckles, and had pepper water thrown into his eyes. As tensions intensified near the end of the confrontation, Mulholland feared for their safety. The sit-in concluded around 2:00 p.m., after Tougaloo College’s president contacted Woolworth’s National Office, which instructed store management to close.
An undercover officer arrested Norman along with one of his assailants—former police officer Benny Oliver who had been kicking Norman—but did not provide an escort for the protesters despite an aggressive crowd surrounding the store. Consequently, Dr. A. D. Beittel, president of Tougaloo College, intervened and led the demonstrators safely out.
Following these events, participants regrouped at NAACP headquarters that evening where plans for further demonstrations were developed. This marked the beginning of a broader movement within Jackson advocating active resistance.
Bill Minor, then Mississippi correspondent for the New Orleans Times-Picayune who witnessed the sit-in firsthand, described it as "the signature event of the protest movement in Jackson" and noted it was "the first one there was with real violence." The following year saw passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Legacy
Lewis demonstrated innate leadership qualities throughout her endeavors. Prior to his passing, Evers entrusted her with the responsibility of advancing the Jackson movement, expressing deep confidence in her resilience and determination.
Death
Lewis passed away in July 2001. She is remembered as a prominent and influential figure within the NAACP and for her significant contributions to the Jackson community.