Meet Dr. Pearl Lilly | Family and Individuals Services & Moving Forward Spiritual Healing

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Pearl Lilly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Pearl, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business what is the need of helping others mothers raising children alone facing so many obstacles and adversities. Thinking about the time when I myself was a single parent Morceau a black mother with black children with little to non-resources services within my own community and be able to utilize the resources within myself to one ask for help regardless of what I mean and/or or criticism.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business endeavor started out after the death of my daughter Sheila and her female fetus child. They bought were, to my belief murdered! My business is nonprofit and is called “Moving Forward Spiritual Healing”. It is in honor of my daughter and granddaughter. The day that my daughter was killed, we spoke, and she stated to me, “Mom, I’m Moving Forward .. After enduring years of domestic and emotional abuse; my daughter was ready to live life and make the necessary changes in order to get her three sons back. “Moving Forward Spiritual Healing” is a way that I would use my educational background to help other females to obtain the tools that aid them with the hope, that they deserve a better life.

What sets me apart from others is the desire to help others and to prevent other mothers and families from enduring the pain of a lost child resulting from Domestic Abuse and Mental Illness. There are so many stereotypes that affect so many black communities across the country. Domestic Abuse and Mental Illness create an environment that prevents individuals from asking for help because the epidemic within black communities often gets overlooked as well as many other social issues or problems that we face on a regular basis. These issues are all too common within our communities and a daily occurrence across the board. The domestic abuse that my daughter was subjected to was not limited to her, but to that of the preparator family, mother, and friends within the elements of this individual also resulted in the death of two well-loved individuals (husband and wife).

What is most proud or excited about is the strength that my children are demonstrating through the death and loss of their sister and niece. I am proud of my ability to maintain and keep moving when there are so many days, I just wanted to sit still or lay down so that I could be with her. But I realized that I needed to be strong for her three surviving children and for my adult children and friends, losing my daughter Sheila woke me up. Woke me up realizing how we as human beings spend so much time not loving and respecting each other. Those individuals are suffering in silence, while their mind is being robbed by mental illness. The ugly truth and darkness that plague lives through manic depression and thoughts that no one loves them. For the innocence lost of a fetus child living and growing within the mother’s womb as she shielded her mind, body, soul, and spirit is being stolen and tortured by domestic abuse. That was my child! My daughter for the last 5 years after meeting the monster that Took Her Away From Us!!! I am currently working on a book titled “Taken From Us!!” with the hope of shedding light on the severity of domestic abuse and mental illness within the black community. In black communities, there are resources available but when the community is under-resourced, then the fate of individuals, families, and others could result in death or incarceration.

How I got to where I am today business-wise is through the GRACE of GOD!!! Through belief in myself and others, Having the strength and ability to keep moving and not give up. The lesson that I have learned over the way is that never Give Up on yourself and your dreams. It was not easy. Being an incest survivor, I never thought in a million years that I would be where I am in life. Being a child being molested on every level from sunup to sundown. I thought that there would be a time that God would just come down and take me and I was ready. Multiple family members turned against me because I exposed the individuals within my family and family friends who helped in the cover-up of the sexual abuse. The church back home in Lansing, Michigan for allowing male perpetrators to sexually abuse us and got paid for it. It was extremely bad for us little girls aged 5 to 17 years of age.

I overcame many challenges through the grace of GOD and the will to survive. I went to college to better the lives of my children in order to obtain a job to care for them as a single mother. From a 9-year-old child that was taken from her mother in the small town of Glen Allen, Mississippi, lost, not knowing what life would bring to that of a strong black female woman, mother, sister, niece, educator, Code and Drone Teacher, Transitional specialist Teacher teaching student 9th through 12th Grade, to obtaining Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree of Education, Master Degree in Public Administration/Criminal Justice to Doctor of Human Services with Organizational Leadership/Management.

The lesson learned over the way is t never give up and know that God is always by your side!!!

I look forward to helping others and making a difference. I am no superwoman, just a black woman who has overcome so many odds. Many times, I could have given up, but I chose to live. I chose to believe in God and that He will always bring you through!!!!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a great question. This actually happened to me a few years ago when my best friend/sister and nieces came to visit. They are originally from Chicago-Chi-Town where everything is right! Having them here was super amazing. It they would return to Atlanta; the itinerary would be to first allow them to view the wonderful airport that we have here. It would be as followed: Have breakfast, then lunch at her favorite place, which is Crackle Barrell, then have at. I would take them to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. show them around Piedmont Park, show them the Fox Theatre, the wonderful Atlanta Belt Line. National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park, Ponce City Market. They have an adult night with her by showing the different spots where people socialize in bars and restaurants. I would make it as enjoyable as possible.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Yes. There are many individuals that have contributed to this new journey. I would like to say that my adult children have played a significant role in my adventures, my life, my education, and most of all support me in my business endeavors, this support from my friends who plays an important role in supporting me by always encouraging the things that I decide to take a step in doing. There are other individuals such as my therapist and most importantly my spiritual Mothers; my Apostle and Paster at NCCM-Dallas, Texas.

Website: www.facebook.com/Drpearllilly

Linkedin: Pearl Lilly

Facebook: Author Pearl Lilly

Image Credits
All of the images were taken by me.