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The Pearl Escape Project
Honoring Resistance, Pursuing Justice
On the night of April 15, 1848, 77 enslaved men, women, and children from across the District made their way to the 7th Street pier along DC’s Southwest waterfront. Silently, they boarded the Pearl, and with the rising tide, the ship set sail for freedom.
Our Mission
​The Pearl Escape Project remembers the 77 passengers and crew aboard the Pearl, celebrates their effort to flee slavery, and honors the spirit that impelled them to risk their lives for freedom. Inspired by those who resisted enslavement and those who helped them, the Pearl Escape Project uses the power of history to promote freedom and the elimination of oppression in all forms.
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