Historical marker goes up in Crisfield to honor 1938 Crab Picking Strikers

CRISFIELD, Md. – In 1938, 600 Crisfield crab pickers took

to the streets to strike against the packing houses, over unjust wage cuts. That powerful group, led by a group of Black women.

Today, on the 86th anniversary of the end of the strike, Mayor Darlene Taylor said the city is marking important history.

“This is the legacy and the heritage of why I’m standing where I’m standing today, and how I was able to do that because of their courage and their tenacity and the fact that they never gave up,” Mayor Taylor said.

A historical marker honoring those crab pickers stands tall, right across the street from the Shiloh Methodist Church.

Pastor Emanuel Johnson said after two long years, he’s pleased that the city was able to partner with the Maryland Department of Transportation, to bring their vision to life.

“To know that they thought that this history was worthy enough to be recognized, to be part of their program, and I’m just grateful that they agreed and I’m just glad to be part of it,” Pastor Johnson said.

And at 86 years old, Hazel Cropper– better known as Hurricane Hazel for her world champion crab picking skills– said this is a moment that will go down in the city’s history and will forever tell the story of the Crisfield crab pickers.

“I really think it’s going to push forward and they’re going to be recognized, more than they were before,” Cropper said.