Lecture to Spotlight Pulitzer-Winning Laurens Native Julia Mood Peterkin on May 27
May 21, 2025
The Laurens County Museum, in partnership with SC Humanities, will host a special evening program titled “The Literary Life of Julia Mood Peterkin” on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 7:00 pm. The lecture, presented by South Carolina author and poet Ann Chadwell-Humphries, will take place at the Laurens County Museum, located at 116 South Public Square in Laurens. The event is open to the public. Museum members and youth may attend for free; for others, a $5 donation is suggested to support museum programming.
The lecture will explore the remarkable life and legacy of Julia Mood Peterkin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author born in Laurens County. Peterkin is remembered for her vivid portrayals of Black life in the South, especially her sensitive and groundbreaking depictions of Gullah culture. She received national acclaim in 1929 when she became one of the first Southern women to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel Scarlet Sister Mary.
Peterkin’s literary contributions were both bold and controversial for her time, as she wrote about the lives of African Americans with dignity and authenticity at a time when few white authors did so. Her work helped preserve the rich oral traditions and folklore of Black communities in the early 20th-century South.
Presenter Ann Chadwell-Humphries has her own ties to Laurens County. Her family moved to Clinton in 1976, where they remained until 1994. Her father, Dr. Charles H. Chadwell, served as the regional superintendent for the SC Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and her mother, Barbara Chadwell, was a nurse who helped establish one of the county’s first hospice programs and served as president of the Friends of the Laurens County Library. The family lived on the Whitten Center campus, and the Chadwell children attended local schools, including Clinton High School. Dr. Chadwell’s legacy is honored through an endowment at Presbyterian College, where Ann has spoken at the annual symposium in his name.
During their time in Laurens County, the Chadwell family was active in the community—playing tennis at PC and Clinton High, and attending church at Broad Street United Methodist and later at the Episcopal Church. Several family members were married locally, creating deep roots in the area.
As a member of the SC Humanities Speakers Bureau, Ann Chadwell-Humphries brings both literary insight and personal connection to this exploration of Peterkin’s work.
Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the museum’s exhibit hall, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The Laurens County Museum is a nonprofit organization with many opportunities for community involvement and membership.
To learn more, visit www.LaurensCountyMuseum.org, call (864) 681-3678, or follow the Laurens County Museum on Facebook.
