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…