Nathaniel Harvey
Born in 1924, Nathaniel Harvey is the soft-spoken, powerhouse patriarch of the Harvey family. He is the son of Lewis and Saphronia Harvey.
His ancestry is Native American, specifically Seminole. His father worked on the celery farm located in east Sarasota.
Like his father, Harvey also found work harvesting celery. Other workers washed, packed and shipped the crop. The labor force lived close to the farm in a place called Johnson Camp and worked from “can’t to can’t” beginning before sunrise in the early mornings and ending the day at sundown. Harvey’s teachers were Annie M. McElroy, author of But Your World and My World and legendary educator Emma E. Booker. “She was a great lady. She was very strict, but was good. She meant what she said and said what she meant.”
At age 16, the young man met his bride Mary Lee whose lineage was African American and Cherokee. The couple had seven children and enjoyed 73 years of marriage. Harvey says the lack of access to medical care caused the untimely death of his mother and brother. He praises the changes occurring in Newtown. Sarasota NAACP president Trevor Harvey is his grandson. Sunday meals with chicken, rice, lima beans and family time brought Mr. Harvey joy. He passed away on August 31, 2016.
Oral Interview: Nathaniel Harvey
