Meet the Perrin Family!
Hailing from the deep south of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Margaret Perrin has seen some significant changes within this past year. Namely, a weight loss surgery that has slimmed and trimmed last season’s own “God Warrior.” While smaller in build, Margaret is no less the big personality we have seen her to be. Sassy and ready to tell it like it is, Margaret is as effervescent as ever.
Margaret and her family, husband Barry, daughters Ashley and Brooke and granddaughter Abigail, are the embodiment of southern hospitality and comfort. Ready to greet guests with open arms, it is not uncommon to find the Perrin family hosting big get-togethers of friends and family.
While Hurricane Katrina had a negative effect on their community, the Perrin family has been able to rebuild and move on with their lives. Barry now works as a carpenter, after the janitorial supply business he worked for was destroyed by the hurricane. Still the same old nice guy, he enjoys his new occupation immensely. Ashley continues to teach at her thriving dance studio, instructing young girls from the area in ballet, jazz and hip-hop. Sister Brooke and daughter Abigail are among the star dancers there.
Meet the Malone-Brown Family!
Yearly, tourists come to St. Petersburg, Florida to soak up rays and relax, taking a break from daily responsibilities. But as with any tourist destination, there is always a working class population that supports it. Abasi Malone and LaToya Brown are proud members of this working class, involving themselves with building a better community for their seven-year-old daughter, Shachaamah. Daily, Abasi works as both taxi driver and newspaper route carrier, while Latoya takes care of the home.
Latoya and Abasi have a loving, functional relationship while bright-eyed Shachamaah has a thirst for learning. Early on in Shachaamah’s childhood, Latoya decided to home school her daughter. Both Latoya and Abasi believe in raising Shachamaah to be able to maneuver through society by herself and to be self-sufficient. Daily trips to the library for enrichment are routine for this family.
Latoya is a proponent of environmental causes, having both a recycled rain barrel and compost pile in the family’s yard. Abasi is involved in the community through hosting a political talk show that deals with issues within the African American community. In the end the Malone-Brown family wants to be healthy, happy and financially stable, just like any other American family, even while they are passionate about their working class lifestyle and ideals.