Pearlie Mae Suber Harris, daughter of a Baptist minister who grew up in Saluda NC in the 1940's. Amid racial segregation, Harris moved with her family to Saluda in 1940 and grew up near the railroad tracks. During this time, the Saluda Depot had a Black and a White waiting room. Segregation, as in most of the South, was prevalent. Mrs. Harris describes life in the town of Saluda well before the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Education, although rare for young Black women in the 40’s and 50’s, was a powerful theme throughout Pearlie Mae’s life. She graduated high school in 1953 and left Saluda to find work in Greenville. At that time, she was given the opportunity by Mrs. Simpson (of the Belks-Simpson department store chain) to attend Barber-Scotia College. Pearlie would go on to become a beloved teacher in the community for the next 39 years. She earned her Masters degree from Furman University, where she also later receive an honorary doctorate. In 2020, Pearlie was also honored as the subject of a large-scale mural in downtown Greenville, celebrating diversity and education.