ASALH Savannah-Yamacraw Branch member Julia Pearce is a co-sponsor of the annual Tybee Island Wade-In, which will be held on June 19, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. on South Beach near the 16th Street Pier on Tybee Island, Georgia. The public is invited to attend this family-friendly event that combines celebration and historical remembrance.
Participants will gather in the surf to commemorate the courageous efforts that led to the integration of Savannah-area beaches more than sixty years ago. The original movement was organized and led by W.W. Law (Wesley Wallace Law), founder of the Savannah-Yamacraw Branch of ASALH and one of Savannah’s most influential Civil Rights leaders.
The Tybee Island Wade-Ins were among the most significant Civil Rights demonstrations in coastal Georgia. Between 1960 and 1963, local African American students and community members challenged racial segregation at Georgia’s public beaches through a series of peaceful protests. Demonstrators endured arrests, intimidation, and hostile crowds while seeking equal access to public recreational spaces.
The first wade-in took place on August 17, 1960, when members of the NAACP Youth Council, under the leadership of W.W. Law, organized Georgia’s first beach desegregation protest. Eleven students from Morehouse College entered the waters at what was then known as Savannah Beach and were arrested after confronting opposition from segregationists.
Despite arrests, fines, and threats, the movement continued over the next several summers. Hundreds of young people participated in the demonstrations, helping bring national attention to the cause of civil rights in Savannah. Among those arrested was 15-year-old Edna Jackson, who later became Savannah’s first African American female mayor.
Today, the annual Tybee Island Wade-In honors the bravery and determination of those activists whose actions helped secure equal access to Georgia’s beaches and advanced the broader struggle for civil rights.
For additional information, contact the Savannah-Yamacraw Branch of ASALH.
