When shit hits the fan—World War III, the detonation of a nuclear bomb, whatever crazy shit Trump does—don’t come knocking on Sharon Ross’ door.
“Don’t come to my house,” she warns. “I’m not having it. If you can’t take care of yourself at this point in time—to put some food away for you and your family—what makes you think I should? So don’t come to me. Because you’re going to be greeted with a shotgun or a pistol.”
Sharon Ross doesn’t give the impression of the stereotypical doomsday prepper. An African American woman in her early-50s, Ross has a warm and youthful smile. She checks her smartphone, takes sugar in her tea, and laughs often, even while describing the myriad ways civilization as we know it is veering toward imminent destruction.
I first learned about Ross through her website, Afrovivalist.com, which she created three years ago as a place to educate others—particularly people of color—about prepping and survival skills like foraging, water purification, archery, and handling firearms. She faced swift derision, not only from the African American community, but also from close friends and family. They called her “crazy,” “paranoid,” “koo-koo.” But in light of recent developments, she tells me, people are beginning to think differently.
“It’s changed,” she says. “And a lot of it is due to Mr. Trump. They’ve realized, ‘Oh, holy crap, that crazy girl just might be right. I guess I should start preparing.’ I’ve got more and more people going to the website. They’re starting to think, ‘Maybe we should get a group together, so we can protect ourselves.’”