For Black Women, Saying Goodbye to Martha's Vineyard Gets Harder Every Summer

Saying goodbye to Martha’s Vineyard is becoming harder each summer for Black women who return year after year, the piece says. The author traces a multi-generational tradition: her mother began visiting more than 20 years ago, and she later arrived the same way, through a woman connected to an annual girls’ trip hosted before traveling by ferry. For the family and many others, Oak Bluffs has offered belonging and rest in a setting where Black visitors could buy homes and create intentional communities during eras when segregation limited access to vacation lodging. The article recounts Black presence on the island since the 1700s, including enslaved Africans, and details how free Black residents continued building lives through maritime work. Over time, the community became a summer hub for Black families.