Pearlie Mae Suber Harris

Pearlie Mae Suber Harris shared with the Historic Saluda Committee what it was like living in Saluda, NC in the 1930′s to 1950′s, prior to the Civil Rights Movement. As the daughter of a black Baptist Minister, she moved to Saluda as very young child when her father, Rev. Lester Samuel Suber, was called to preach at St. Matthews Baptist Church. Her fondest memory is of her father digging a pool and filling it full of water just to baptize her. At a very young age, she worked for the wealthy white families who had second homes in Saluda. However, she was paid a fair wage and at times was the family bread winner. In this video, Pearlie shares some shocking revelations of what it was like to be black and growing up in a small southern Appalachian mountain community.