Laurens County Museum Hosts Lecture on Julia Mood Peterkin, Pulitzer-Winning Author, May 27

The Laurens County Museum, in partnership with South Carolina Humanities, will host a special lecture titled “The Literary Life of Julia Mood Peterkin” on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. The program will be presented by author and poet Ann Chadwell-Humphries and is open to the public.

Admission is free for Laurens County Museum members and youth. A suggested $5 donation is encouraged for all others to support ongoing museum programming. The Laurens County Museum is located at 116 South Public Square in downtown Laurens.

Pulitzer Prize winner Julia Mood Peterkin was born in Laurens County and became widely known for her groundbreaking literary work that authentically portrayed the lives and folklore of Black Americans in the South, particularly the Gullah community. Her vivid storytelling and cultural insight earned her national recognition in the early 20th century and helped bring Southern African American traditions into mainstream literature.

Presenter Ann Chadwell-Humphries, a Columbia-based scholar, author, and poet, is a member of the South Carolina Humanities Speakers Bureau. Her presentation will explore Peterkin’s life, legacy, and literary contributions.

The Laurens County Museum exhibit hall is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with free admission. For more information, call (864) 681-3678, visit www.LaurensCountyMuseum.org, or follow the museum on Facebook. The museum is a nonprofit organization offering many opportunities for membership and volunteering.