Created by the federal government in the early 1920s for white workers at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and their families, Cradock was designed to be a self-contained community, like a military base for civilians. For years Cradock was a proud place. Today, a small and diverse group of residents, merchants and clergy struggle to keep one step ahead of hardship, decay, crime and unsteady racial tensions. Cradock is weary of promises and false hopes.