Black Greek Week Martha's Vineyard 2023 (2024)

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Black Greek Week Martha's Vineyard 2023? ›

Summary. Legacy Week on the Vineyard www.legacyweekonthevineyard.com (Last week of July) July 23-29, 2023 will be a gathering of all HBCU Alumni to engage, empower, and enjoy each other on the fantastic Island of Martha's Vineyard.

In Oak Bluffs, on the northern tip of the island, Black families from around the country gather every summer to vacation, socialize, and spend quality time with each other. It's common to see multiple generations of Black families together at Woods Hole, hanging out at the Inkwell beach, or eating at Nancy's.

By the mid-1950s Oak Bluffs had become a full-blown Black resort, drawing guests from all over the country. The town beach acquired the nickname “Inkwell” or “Inkwell Beach,” which may have started as a derogatory epithet but was later reclaimed by African American residents.

Martha's Vineyard always was, and still is, a mostly White community— the population was 5,341 according to the 2020 United States Census, and only 12 percent of the population comprises people of color; even in Oak Bluffs, less than five percent of the population is Black.

About Us - Legacy Week, It's A Different World

Legacy Week is created to engage, empower, and highlight the bond and value of the alumni and students from all Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In the Oak Bluffs area of Martha's Vineyard, the Inkwell, as it's fondly known, has long been a summer destination for Black families; the area was even listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for vacation-bound African-American families popular from the '40s to '60s.

One narrative asserts that the name “Inkwell” was used as a pejorative by some whites to describe a beach in Oak Bluffs primarily populated by African Americans from the turn of the century through the Jim Crow era.

Martha's Vineyard, MA, shares a rich history with the African American community. For more than 100 years, the Vineyard has provided a place for Black Americans to gather and unwind and for many entrepreneurs to start businesses.

Finley, who for years authored a column about Oak Bluffs, estimates that during the offseason, there are only 700 black people who call Martha's Vineyard home, and, he says, “most of us are retired.” In the summer, the numbers swell markedly, till, he guesses, 30 to 35 percent of the summertime population is people of ...

Islanders/Vineyarders

A person is considered a potential Islander if he/she/they was born, lives, works, visits, or is connected with the Island.

Is Martha's Vineyard liberal or Republican? ›

Sept 15 (Reuters) - Martha's Vineyard is a largely liberal island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, frequented by some of America's richest and most powerful people. Now it has taken center stage in the U.S. political fight over immigration.

Martha's Vineyard is one of the first places that Black people could vacation in. The area of Oak Bluffs eventually became a space in Martha's Vineyard that was truly safe for Black people. In the 1920s colorful summer cottages were built by Black citizens who worked for the White families on other parts of the island.

The wealthy summer visitors do not live, work, or vote there. How many millionaires are on Martha's Vineyard? 50 or so. The Obammas have a new 20 million dollar compound.

It is a spin-off of Summer House and follows a group of young Black professionals and entrepreneurs vacationing on Martha's Vineyard. On July 11, 2023, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on March 24, 2024.

Martha's Vineyard is renowned for its stunning scenery – with rolling hills, wildflower fields, and miles of pristine coastline. It also has some of the best seafood restaurants in New England and numerous activities and attractions that cater to all types of interests.

You should plan to spend around $241 per day on your vacation in Martha's Vineyard. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average for one day: $60 on meals.

Yet, Martha's Vineyard is primarily known as a summer enclave for many of America's so-called Black elites. The tradition of Black middle-class and upper-middle-class families vacationing on the island began in the 1800s and continues today, with the largest percentage congregating in Oak Bluffs.

July and August are the height of the tourist season, with August being the busiest month. July Fourth and Labor Day bring the biggest weekend crowds.

But some people do spend winter on Martha's Vineyard. The Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce says, "The population changes dramatically from one season to the next." According to the Chamber, "The year-round population is close to 23,000, and in the summer, there can be as many as 200,000 people on the island."

August is by far the busiest month and plays host to a number of big annual island events; Illumination Night, African-American Film Fest and Fireworks Night in Oak Bluffs, Beach Road Weekend Music Festival in Vineyard Haven, the Agricultural Fair in West Tisbury and the Chilmark Road Race.