History & Hope: Retired educator reflects on racism she faced while teaching Share Updated: 9:52 AM EST Feb 25, 2021 Destiny Chance Share Updated: 9:52 AM EST Feb 25, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript JANE: TONIGHT, IN OUR PROJECT COMMUNITY HISTORY AND HOPE SERIES, WE’RE FEATURING PEARLIE HARRIS, A RETIRED GRENNVILLE TEACHER WHO TAUGHT BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER DESEGREGATION. HARRIS BEEN HONORED DOZENS OF TIMES IN THE COMMUNITY. SHE IS THE NAMESAKE OF THE BON SECOURS PEARLIE HARRIS CENTER FOR BREAST HEALTH, AND LAST YEAR WAS HONORED AS THE CENTERPIECE ON A MASSIVE MURAL THAT CELEBRATES DIVERSITY AND UNITY. PEARLIE HARRIS SHARED HER MESSAGE OF UNITY WITH OUR DESTINY CHANCE. >> YOU ALWAYS START OUT THE WAY YOU WANT TO END UP. DESTINY: MRS. PEARLIE HARRIS GREW UP IN SALUDA, NORTH CAROLINA, MOVED TO HENDERSONVILLE, AND ENDED UP IN GREENVILLE. >> I ENDED UP COMING BACK HERE, BECAUSE MY HUSBAND LOVED THIS PLACE. HE SAID GREENVILLE WAS A NICE SMALL TOWN TO RAISE CHILDREN. BUT WHEN I CAME TO GREENVILLE, I WAS AFRAID. I MEAN, I WAS REALLY AFRAID. I HAD TO GET ON THE CITY BUS. I DIDN’T SEE ANY BLACK PEOPLE BUT ME, AND IT WAS REALLY FRIGHTFUL. DESTINY: FOR 30 YEARS, SHE TAUGHT BETWEEN 25 AND 30 SCHOOLS IN GREENVILLE COUNTY. >> GREENVILLE WAS HIGHLY SEGREGATED BACK IN THE DAY, TOO. DESTINY: HOW WAS THAT FOR YOU AS AN EDUCATOR? >> ALMOST NERVE-TAKING, TO SOME EXTENT, BECAUSE I WAS AMONG THE TEACHERS THAT WERE SELECTED TO GO INTO THE ALL-WHITE SCHOOLS IN GREENVILLE. AND THE SUPERINTENDENT APPROACHED ME AND SAID, "WE’RE GOING TO SEND YOU TO A NEW SCHOOL NEXT YEAR, AND IT WILL BE ALL-WHITE." AND HE SAID, "HOW DO YOU THINK YOU’LL DO?" AND I SAID, I’LL DO FINE. CHILDREN ARE CHILDREN. AND IT WASN’T THAT HARD, AND IT WASN’T THAT EASY, BECAUSE THE CHILDREN LITERALLY CALLED ME A N-WORD. AND THE PARENTS DID, TOO. BIG PTA MEETINGS, THEY’D SAY, , SOME OF THE PARENTS WERE REALLY UPSET BECAUSE THEY WOULD SAY "WE NEVER WANTED A N-WORD TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN, BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THE WHITE TEACHERS KNOW AND THEY DON’T HAVE THE EDUCATION MY HUSBAND WAS OVERSEAS IN VIETNAM, AND I DECIDED, THIS YEAR WILL BE THE BEST YEAR THESE CHILDREN EVER WILL HAVE IN SCHOOL THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. AND I WAS DETERMINED TO BE THAT BEST TEACHER IN THAT SCHOOL, BECAUSE I WAS BLACK. DESTINY: WHAT WAS YOUR BEST MEMORY DURING THAT TIME? >> HAVING A PARENT CALL ME AND APOLOGIZE FOR CALLING ME N-WORD. THAT WAS ONE OF MY BEST MEMORIES. THAT LITERALLY BROUGHT ME TO TEARS, AND I TOLD HER, THIS IS EXCEPTIONAL. BECAUSE WHO CALLS SOMEONE 20 YEARS LATER TO APOLOGIZE F SOMETHING THEY SAID 20 YEARS AGO THAT LITERALLY HURT YOUR FEELINGS? AND YOU NOW ARE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT YOU DID THIS. SHE SAID, "BECAUSE I’VE DECIDED I WANT TO BE A TEACHER IN MY LATE YEARS, AND I WANT TO BE THE PERSON YOU WERE." DESTINY: THE UNITY MURAL ON THE OLD BB&T BUILDING ON COLLEGE STREET, WHEN YOU SAW THAT PRESENTED TO YOU, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE TO YOU WHEN YOU SAW THE WORD UNITY? >> DIVERSITY, UNITY, LOVE, COMPASSION, HEART. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD HEART. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOVE FOR CHILDREN AND PEOPLE TO BE A TEACHER, AND TO STRETCH YOURSELF OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I’M AMAZED AT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO ME IN MY LIFE. BECAUSE NONE OF THIS I EXPECTED. I DIDN’T EVEN DREAM OF SITTING HERE WITH YOU TODAY. BUT I’M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT IT IS ME, AND I HOPE IT CAN BE PART OF WHAT GREENVILLE CAN SAY, SHE MADE US PROUD. DESTINY: IN GREE