Julia Peterkin

Life & Legacy

Julia Peterkin (October 31, 1880 – August 10, 1961) was an American author from South Carolina, who advocated for African Americans and wrote about the portrayals of the southern life. In 1929 she won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel Scarlet Sister Mary. She wrote several novels about the plantation South, especially the Gullah people of the Low country. As a white author, she developed a unique perspective on the African American lifestyle during her time. She was one of the few white authors who wrote about the African-American experience. She collaborated with photographer Doris Ulmann on Roll, Jordan, Roll.