Tribally Known as Chief Hacha Kusso

Pearla Gillespie Harvey

I come from humble beginnings—rooted in faith, shaped by hardship, and driven by a deep love for the unseen and unheard. I was born on May 11, 1951, in Sylvania, Georgia, the eighth of ten children in a family of farmers and sharecroppers. Life in the South during those days was tough. Many families sought better opportunities in the North, and like so many others, my two younger brothers and I were sent to live with our grandmother in Harlem, New York.

It was there, in my grandmother’s home, that my spiritual journey began. Every night we prayed on our knees—a sacred family tradition. She was a devout woman of faith, and church attendance two or three times a week was the norm. Around the age of seven, I began to feel the presence of the Most High. That awareness never left me—I have never felt alone since.

At seventeen, grounded in my faith, I married my high school sweetheart, James C. Gillespie. We were young but committed, and our union brought five beautiful children into the world. Though our marriage ended after twenty-two years, we remained respectful and devoted to the family we built together.

My education and early adulthood unfolded in New York City. I attended school in the Bronx from elementary through college, graduating from Morris High School and then attending Bronx Community College. In 1970, I began working full-time as a telephone operator for New York Telephone Company. But the city was growing overcrowded and dangerous, and we knew we needed a safer environment for our children.

In 1973, we relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I continued my studies at Broward Community College and transferred with the phone company to Southern Bell Communications as an installer. Working outside in the intense Florida heat was challenging, but I endured and soon transitioned into a role with the Broward County Sheriff’s Department. As a booking officer, I found meaning in my work—but the rising crime in the city once again pushed us to seek a better place for our children.

In 1990, I was blessed to marry my second husband, John W. Harvey. He was truly God-sent. His love and joy in making me happy is a gift I never take for granted, and I do my best to show him that same love in return. Together, we’ve raised two more children and are still happily married.

In 1998, we moved to Hardeeville, South Carolina—a town unlike any I’d ever lived in. Transitioning to small-town life was an adjustment. We were outsiders at first, but time and consistency helped us find our place. I began ministerial training and served under Reverend James Jenkins at Macedonia Baptist Church. Though I was ordained a minister, I have always seen myself more as a teacher of the Word.

Between 1998 and 2007, I worked as a substitute teacher for the Jasper County School Board and even drove trollies in the summer to serve the community.

In 2007, my niece Clair confided in me about a long-held family secret and asked me to write her story. That deeply personal account became the foundation for my first book, A Silent Cry. Writing it was painful—it broke me open in places I didn’t know existed—but it also became a tool of healing, both for her and eventually for others. Though I originally withheld it from the public, in April 2023, I republished it and placed it on the market to help other survivors of trauma find their voice.

In May 2025, I published my second book, The Great Deception: Call to Awakening. This work is a passionate call to truth for the so-called African-American and Copper-Color Black American Indian communities. It weaves together spiritual revelation, historical truths, and cultural identity—challenging the lies we’ve been taught and inviting readers to remember who they truly are. This book marks a turning point in my ministry, one that speaks directly to the awakening spirit of our people.

From 2008 to 2019, I served as the founder and Executive Director of Community First Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting grandparents raising grandchildren and single-parent households. Our community programs included mentoring, GED preparation, parenting classes, mental health services, and more.

I was certified in Advanced Youth Development at Clemson University in 2008 and entered into a USDA partnership in 2012. In 2010, I was recognized in the Stanford Who’s Who Black Book for my leadership and service.

Today, I continue to write, teach, and counsel. I serve alongside my tribal family—YUCHII KUSSO MVSKOKI (YKM)—offering guidance, cultural restoration, and spiritual encouragement to those seeking the truth. My journey is far from over. As long as I have breath, I will stand for the broken, the lost, and the awakening.