This picture was passed down to me through generations and was originally part of my great grandmother Martha Boone’s belongings.

Sallie’s parents were John Dildy and Harriet Dildy and they were married on January 3, 1863. In historical records, they were often labeled as "mulatto," "colored," or "free people of color."

Gates County has a deep and layered history. In 1677, North Carolina established a reservation for the Chowanoke people in what is now Gates County. This was the first Native American reservation in what would later become the United States.

After the Civil War in 1865, the area remained largely agricultural and many Black and Native families like Sallie’s continued to work the land through sharecropping. Despite many challenges, she preserved her family’s stories, photographs, and traditions.

Sallie worked as a sharecropper and was also a housekeeper. She was a wife, a mother and created beautiful sewing projects that included quilting and crochet pieces.

I'm grateful to have this photo. When I look at her, I think about everything she went through and the sacrifices she made just so her family could have a better future.