CRISFIELD, Md. — For this story, we're taking you somewhere pretty far — Crisfield, Maryland, to be exact. It's in Crisfield where you'll find a woman who has become a legend in the hearts of many in the community and the record books — a true contributor to Black history in the state.
Ms. Hazel Cropper is her name, also known as "Hurricane Hazel" to many, and she's a 16-time crab picking world champion at the age of 87. Along with being a multi-time champion, Cropper is in the Guinness Book of World Records for picking nearly six pounds of crab meat in 20 minutes.
But to truly understand how Cropper rose to glory, we have to start from the beginning.
The 87-year-old crab picking champion making history in Maryland
Cropper told us she first began picking at the age of nine, a skill she learned from her family.
"My half-sister would pick 35 pounds every day. That comes from a picking family, but one that didn't like doing it with my mother. We learned how to pick crabs and, like I say, you go to school, back in the day, you work nights after school. Go change your clothes and come pick crabs. They work all day and half of the night because the crabs were plentiful," Cropper said.
Cropper's skills grew as the years went on, getting sharper and quicker with every crab-picking session.
Her rapidly growing skills would eventually lead her to the Crab Place on Maryland Avenue in Crisfield, a prime destination in the community where people across the country can get crabs delivered.
At the Crab Place, Cropper holds crab-picking demonstrations to anyone willing to learn.
The passion to instruct others is a "calling from God," she says.
"God has truly blessed me… no weapon formed against me shall prosper," said Cropper.
And through her prospering, she's helped all those who have come to see her prosper as well.
From all over the world, crab lovers flock to the Crab Place to learn from Cropper, but one person came just to embrace the Crisfield legend — that person would be Governor Wes Moore.
"So this town is packed. So when Big Matt said, 'Come on, somebody wants to see you,' it was Governor Moore and his team. And I demonstrated — I picked a pound of crab meat, and that made his day. I said, 'I'm not going in that marina to pick nobody no crab.' So he came and found me, and he enjoyed it, and I gave him the crab meat I picked to take back to Baltimore," Cropper said.
Baltimore is where Cropper also has reach. She has a salt box dedicated to her in the area of Charles and 27th Streets, as well as a mural that was painted for her in Crisfield.
Recognition for a hometown hero who has given much of her time to give back to the community where she was born and raised.
To the new generation, she tells them not to look back, learn how to work and live, and don't waste your money. Use the knowledge you've gained and pay it forward.
"I've been on this road a long time, honey, teaching my family what's right and good, and this, what I'm doing now, is history. There are a lot of people who know nothing about it, and they're amazed when they see you in action. So that's where I'm at. I'm in action, showing the new generation what the old generation did," said Cropper.
Now Cropper isn't hanging up the crab-picking materials just yet. She'll be holding more demonstrations at The Crab Place beginning in May, with over 20 demonstrations scheduled through the end of September.
If you want to learn more about The Crab Place, click here.
