Ida Pearl Cross

This interview with Ida Pearl Cross was conducted on July 3, 2017 in Hudson, NY. Cross is a grandmother and mother and a 45-year-long resident of Hudson. In the interview, she discusses Endless Love, a non-denominational church that she and her husband founded, the church-choir she started with her grandkids, and the daycare she used to run. Family is an important part of her narrative; she talks about losing custody of her grandchildren, her pride in her children, lack of resources for children in the city, and her fear that her grandchildren will not be able to afford to live here. She describes her charitable work feeding the community, and the importance of God in her life. She reminisces about old shops and attractions that closed down in Hudson, and reflects on subtle prejudice in Hudson. At the end of the interview, she sings a song she learned in church.

This interview may be of interest to those who want to learn about Hudson’s old attractions, the black church in Hudson, women’s businesses and informal economy, family life in Hudson, racial micro-aggression in Hudson, church songs, working class life, black women’s community leadership.