#4- Martha’s Vineyard

 

 Martha’s Vineyard is one of the oldest and largest Black resorts in the country. The enclave of black doctors, lawyers, judges and entrepreneurs who vacation here know each other, or at least have friends in common. Blacks have been vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard since the early 1900s when they first started coming over to work for well-to-do whites. Indeed, the island is a magnet for Black vacationers who consider the vacation more of a reunion.

The island is 7 miles southeast of the Massachusetts mainland, 20 miles from New Bedford, 80 miles from Boston and 150 miles from New York. Martha’s Vineyard consists of six towns: Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury (Vineyard Haven), West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah (Gay Head).

The first blacks came to Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1600s as enslaved servants. Some of their descendents live on the island year round. One reason that Blacks concentrated in Oaks Bluff is that people refused to sell them homes in Edgartown. Even in the summers, blacks tended to stay at homes owned by other blacks, since traditional hotels would not rent to them. Many spend time at Town Beach a.k.a “The Inkwell” in Oak Bluffs, the beach that black Vineyarders and their guests have enjoyed for generations.

For Black islanders, the party circuit is part of summer vacation. From May until September, they host a nonstop smorgasbord of lunches, brunches, cocktail sips and clambakes on the beach. The house party circuit includes reunions, weddings and spontaneous gatherings. Amidst the socializing, a strong sense of Black Pride pervades the island and leaves Black vacationers with a wealth of memories.

Initiation to the island involves the fact that everyone must travel by a 45-minute ferry ride. Make reservations for the ferry in January to get passage with your car during a weekend in the summer season. You can usually tell first time vacationers because they do not have a reservation for their car.

Black Professionals who have spent every summer at the Vineyard know that it is a cardinal sin to even think about wearing a t-shirt with the black dog. (Thanks “Claire Huxtable” for the reminder!)

You can spot Black Professionals who are “newbies” at the Vineyard because when they return home, they proudly wear either the essential t-shirt or grey sweatshirt or baseball cap that has a large black dog silk screened or embroidered on the front. The newbie mistakingly believes that the black dog sends a message to the world that the Black Professional enjoys the finer things in life and enjoys spending the summer with like minded people. When greeting the BP who is wearing the “essential” gear, point to the dog and say “Did you just get back from the Vineyard?” Ask them where they stay when they “summer” and if they feel rejuvenated. Non Blacks should not assume that the BP stayed in Oaks Bluff—-so give the BP ample opportunity to tell you how they stayed with “friends” or relatives.

It is imperative that the Black Professional purchase the oval bumper stickers with the large font initials “MV” and place it on the back of their Mercedes, BMW or Range Rover. These two letters are a symbolic “emancipation proclamation” to non Blacks driving on the road…especially White Liberals who know the aura and mystique associated with the Vineyard. Should the elements destroy the adhesive on the sticker or upon the purchase of a new vehicle, the BP must replace it immediately because social status is dependent on it.