Pearlena Lewis facts for kids

Pearlena Lewis (born November 25, 1953 – died July 2001) was an important person during the Civil Rights Movement. She took part in the Jackson Woolworth sit-in, a peaceful protest against unfair rules.

Early Life

Pearlena Lewis was the oldest of seven children. She grew up in the southern United States, where Black and white people were kept separate by law. This was called segregation.

Pearlena felt sad and like something was wrong with her because of segregation. But her father, who was a minister, helped her understand that segregation was wrong. He taught her to fight against it instead of feeling bad about herself. As her father became more important in his church, Pearlena's family became part of the "black middle class", meaning they had a more comfortable life than many other Black families at the time.

Even so, Pearlena still felt hurt by how Black people were shown in media. She remembered, "On T.V., all of the commercials were white. In the magazines you saw white. All the models were white. Everything seemed to be saying 'white is right'."

Pearlena was very active in her church. She was also seen as a leader and role model at her school. It was hard for her to find work. Her father did not want her or her sisters to work as housekeepers for white families. He worried about their safety.

The Sit-in Protest

In her last year of high school, Pearlena met Medgar Evers at a church service. He was a leader in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He asked her to join the NAACP's youth group in North Jackson. Pearlena researched the group carefully before joining. She and her friend Corlia Liddell both decided to become members. Corlia became the president of the youth council, and Pearlena became the vice president.

Because Pearlena lived in Jackson, Medgar Evers allowed her to join the Woolworth's sit-in. A week before the protest, they met to plan everything. They talked about how they would get there and what messages they would share with the news. Pearlena said, "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." To distract people from the sit-in, other protests started at J. C. Penneys.

Pearlena joined two other Black students, Memphis Norman and Anne Moody, and a white professor named John Salter, Jr., at the sit-in. They planned exactly when and where each person would sit. Another white student, Joan Trumpauer, stood outside to watch for trouble. She later joined them at the counter. Lois Chaffee, a white teacher, also sat at the counter.

The restaurant refused to serve them because they were Black and sitting in the "white" section. But they stayed in their seats. Soon, people started shouting mean words and racial slurs at them. The shouting quickly turned into physical attacks. People poured sugar, salt, ketchup, and mustard over their heads. They also smeared these things on their bodies. Pearlena was pulled from her chair to the floor, but she bravely got back into her seat. Anne Moody and Lois Chaffee were also pulled from their seats. Memphis Norman was punched in the face and kicked many times while on the floor. John Salter, Jr., was burned with a cigarette, hit with brass knuckles, and had pepper water thrown in his eyes. Joan Trumpauer started to worry that someone might get killed.

The protest ended around 2:00 p.m. The president of Tougaloo College called the main office of Woolworth. The company told the store manager to close the store.

An undercover police officer arrested Memphis Norman and one of his attackers. However, the police would not help the protesters leave the store, as an angry crowd was outside. So, Dr. A. D. Beittel, the president of Tougaloo College, arrived and led the protesters out safely.

The sit-in participants then went back to the NAACP office. Later that night, people met to plan more protests. This event was the start of the Jackson movement, where people stood up and fought for their rights.

Bill Minor, a reporter who was there that day, said the Jackson Woolworth's sit-in was "the signature event of the protest movement in Jackson. The first one there was with real violence." The next year, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed into law. This law made segregation illegal.

Legacy

Pearlena Lewis was a natural leader in everything she did. Before Medgar Evers died, he asked her to keep the Jackson movement going. He strongly believed in her spirit and strength.

Death

Pearlena Lewis passed away in July 2001. She is remembered as a strong person in the NAACP and for her important work in Jackson.