AFROTECH™ House At Martha’s Vineyard: Now Is Not Only A Prime Time For Vacationing But Also Culture And Opportunity
It’s the best time to visit Martha’s Vineyard for several reasons.
The island is a strip located seven miles off the coast of Massachusetts and is a refuge for many affluent Black families looking to vacation. The ideal time to visit the island is during the summer months. The area was recently depicted in Netflix’s “Forever” series, directed by Mara Brock Akil, when Justin Edwards (played by Michael Cooper Jr.) paid a visit to Oak Buffs with his family, which reignited a connection with Keisha Clark (played by Lovie Simone). Fashion brand Ralph Lauren also highlights Oak Bluffs with a recent collection centered around its history.
Oak Buff, in particular, is a location that remains on the radar of Black families every year, and the reasoning can be traced back to the late 19th century. Formerly enslaved Black individuals and freed families once flocked to the area, viewing it as a refuge from segregation and discrimination. The first African Americans on Martha’s Vineyard were indentured servants, enslaved individuals running away, and whalers, and they were seeking whale oil during a booming time, Town & Country magazine reports.
“You have to understand,” said Skip Finley, a columnist for the Vineyard Gazette, according to the outlet. “New Bedford, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard were pretty much the Middle East in those days.”
When whale oil was being replaced with other energy sources, a group of Methodists started having revivals on the island and the area was transformed into a resort. What became known as Cottage City, because of its cottage homes, was later named Oak Bluffs in 1907. More than four decades later, the area became a destination for Black lawyers, doctors, and high-profile individuals and their families who returned annually, a pattern that continues today. Some who have purchased homes in the area include Spike Lee. Cape Cod Times states he bought a home in the area in 1992. Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle — while they don’t live in Oak Bluffs — own a home in Martha’s Vineyard, which was reportedly purchased for $11.75 million in 2020, per Home & Gardens.
Martha’s Vineyard offers an endless list of family activities, from beach days to boating to community cookouts and more. It is also becoming a tentpole for Black entrepreneurs, investors, and financial firms to network organically and find opportunities, notes CNBC. This is the case for Private Equity Firm Founder Calvin L. Butts Jr., who leads East Chop Capital. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, it closed its second fund, which was valued at $11 million, in 2024.
Butts told CNBC about Oak Bluffs’s importance in raising capital: “I would say the magic of it is really about introducing your network to someone else’s network. We found great success raising capital there. We’ve had our portfolio companies speak as well, and we’ve done very, very well with deal flow.”
AFROTECH™ House at Martha’s Vineyard
If you, too, are looking to make Martha’s Vineyard your next destination spot this summer, consider adding the AFROTECH™ House to your itinerary. It will be an intimate night that promises to connect you with innovators and wealth builders. Scheduled speakers are Henri Pierre Jacques (Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Harlem Capital); Aaron Samuels (Founder and Managing Partner @ Collide Capital); and Bryan Myers (President and CEO at [solidcore]).
The RSVP-only event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, Aug 14, at 37 Main St, Edgartown, MA.
For those interested in attending, click here. All ticket proceeds are tax-deductible and will support Blavity.org.
