Gabriella Cray, Washington DC
My mom’s family is from Ohio, so we have two other redheads that are there, maybe three. But I’m the only one in my immediate family. It came from my great-grandmothers on both sides. My great-grandmother on my mother’s side is from West Virginia, and my great-grandmother on my father’s side is from Annapolis [Maryland]. I was raised in P.G. [Prince George’s] County, Maryland, so just outside of the city and would guess my family has been in the south since before the civil war.
For the longest time Prince George’s County was the richest Black county in the United States. A lot of people who’ve never been to PG County are like, whoa, all these Black people. It’s shocking to them. Especially for people who are used to being the majority, it can be intimidating. You’ve got athletes, doctors, lawyers, and politicians. I grew up around people who were on TV and on CNN.
I think it’s a special place. It’s a tough place: most of the people you’ll meet are first-generation wealthy. Super hardworking, but also super down to earth. They didn’t come from money, but they had to really push through and make their way.
Both of my parents’ parents were very poor. They both went to college there and then they ended up getting married and had me in P.G. County. You can get to D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within ten minutes. So I have the benefit of having parents who are financially well-off, but also I got to see their process, so I knew that it took some work at the same time. Whereas my kids are probably gonna be rotten because they’re gonna miss all of the hard work and they’re just gonna see the results.
I don’t think there is even a thread holding us in the United States together right now to be honest. I definitely feel we’re fragmented but there are so many areas where we could come together. People have to not be stubborn. I have friends that are, and I have family members on both sides of the fence. I think the first step is to understand that everyone doesn’t need to think like you, and to be okay with that. We could completely disagree: that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.
I think everybody in America loves their family for the most part. Most of the people I know think family is very important to them. Friendships are important too, and I feel like food brings people together: food, art, and creativity. I think people have to stop looking for opportunities to be so divisive. They often have personal issues that they need to resolve, so they come out and create division because they need an outlet. I think that’s really where the division stems from.
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