This week for Local Love, we decided to interview Deron Major to give a unique point of view of Harlan. The Local Love project aims to help show Harlan from the perspective of locals, and Deron does this perfectly!
Tell us your history and connection to Harlan County.
I was born here. My grandmother came to Harlan in the 1940s. Our family started from Virginia then moved here. My mother was born here and I stayed here, working at the funeral home. I am now substituting and going to school to be a counselor.
Why do you love Harlan?
I love it because the Lord has shown me that I don’t like change; I like growth. So I love to see Harlan grow into something not as much changing, but evolving. Things evolving to what the people had asked for. You’re seeing growth like books in Moonbow Tipple and Harlan being wet, so I just love that Harlan is growing into what it can be and what we want it to be.
Can you share a memorable experience you’ve had in Harlan County?
The one that sticks out to me is when they have the Rosenwald meetings here. It was a black only school, so they will have meetings and hear stories from a lot of people who graduated from there. You get to hear their stories of how Harlan used to be and be able to reminisce and hear people joke about school. And also being able to hear about the end of segregation in Harlan and how that worked is really cool.
How do you think Harlan has changed over the years?
I think it’s changed by having things done, and not just talked about. We’re starting to see the fruition of the talks. Seeing theatre coming downtown, things like that really help. Having a bookstore now is nice, my mother had always wanted a bookstore and a place where local authors can come. It’s also getting more inclusive to people, especially young people, and there are now more ways for us all to connect with our mentality and show how we can better ourselves.
How do you see the future of Harlan County, and what are your hopes for development
I hope that we can get it to where parents quit saying, “I want my children to go off” and instead start saying, “I want my kids to stay to make it better.”. Not just reap the benefits, but be participants of benefitting Harlan in their own way. I have a lot of friends whose parents have told them to leave and not come back, but their parents are still here. So how do you not come back to help them and the community?
