Lazaretto Project Talk

A talk by Julia Pearce, cofounder of the Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization

Julia Pearce is a visionary social justice activist who has transformed the cultural landscape of Tybee Island, Georgia, for over a decade. A graduate of Spelman College and a retired Community Mental Health Registered Nurse.

Julia moved to Tybee Island in 1997 from Atlanta with her two daughters, shefounded the TybeeMLK Human Rights Organization in 2013, a nonprofit 501c3 dedicated to social and historic justice.

Her foresight is remarkable; she established Tybee’s annual Juneteenth Wade-In five years before the federal holiday existed. Following the social unrest of 2020, she successfully led the passage of the Tybee Race Equity Resolution, paving the way for the Tybee Black History Trail and the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Her organization’s impact has helped the City of Tybee win the State of Georgia Visionary Award for three consecutive years.

Most recently, Julia has expanded her work internationally. Serving as an Ambassador of Goodwill to Cape Coast, Ghana, she helped forge a historic link between the Ghanaian “Door of No Return” and the TybeeLazaretto, uniting the African Diaspora in a shared history of resilience. She is currently focused on establishing theLazarettoHealing Memorial.