Home On Martha’s Vineyard – Part I
A Season’s Journal
2009-08-17
By Skip Finley

Editor’s Note: The Obama presidency has been filled with symbolism, and the First Family’s choice of the nation’s most well-known summer vacation spot for well-to-do African American to spend some down time is significant.  To help put it all in perspective, we asked a lifelong resident, radio executive and entrepreneur Skip Finley, to explain the draw of the Vineyard from an insider’s point of view.

This is the first of a series of articles.

It’s ‘ON’, not ‘IN’ Martha’s Vineyard, a roughly 110 square mile Island with 6 towns: Edgartown, Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah.  In perspective, Washington, DC is about 25% smaller than Martha’s Vineyard and Manhattan approximately 75% smaller. When you come to Martha’s Vineyard it’s by boat or plane and when you get here you’ve left America. What WE say is, welcome to The Rock.

The fastest you can drive legally is 45 miles per hour (and that’s not everywhere) and not only do we not have any streets with more than one lane in each direction but we only have one traffic light that blinks red. Virtually none of our streets are lighted. Our tallest buildings are about 4-5 stories and there can’t possibly be more than a dozen elevators in public buildings island wide.

Martha’s Vineyard’s’ year-round population is close to 15,000 persons and we average 100,000 or so visitors weekly during the “season” which is interpreted as the day YOU get here and the day YOU leave—or, Memorial Day to Labor Day—and WE keep count.  By ‘WE’ I refer to two types, Islanders—who are born here—and Vineyarders, like me who come here and stay. You, however, are a ‘seasonal’ visitor. No one cares how long you’ve been coming; if you’re not born here you’re a Vineyarder at best.

In my case, that’s over 50 years—every summer and most of the time since 2000 when we made it our official home. Uniquely, according to the Cape Cod Times[1], that makes me and my wife 2 of the 160 African Americans who live in the Town of Oak Bluffs year round. That’s pertinent because most Black people—not all—who live on and visit Martha’s Vineyard stay in Oak Bluffs, the Island’s third largest in population and third smallest in land[2] with 8.7 square miles, 1.3 of which are actually water.

Over these 55 years I’ve been fortunate to amass amazing relationships; my parents’ friends’ kids are my friends whose kids are friends whose grandchildren are now growing up together. I literally have friends for 50+ years who I see every year—many of whom have never met each other. Some us were lucky to have been able to stay the whole summer, some for a month at a time (July or August), some for a two or three week vacation, some for weekends and others just when they can. Many seasonal homeowners rent back in the City but invest in a home here—because chances are you’re going to want to come back, again and again and, well—55 years and counting for me. And in the Town of Oak Bluffs you see the most Black people in July—and August when most of the people you see happen to be Black.

 Comparatively, Oak Bluffs has a population of 4,131 year round residents[3] and 27,371 summer residents[4]--meaning home owners, not just visitors who may rent or stay in a hotel or bed and breakfast or guest house. No one is willing to guess how many homes are owned by African Americans or how many are present during the season.

But judging from how many of us I see in Oak Bluffs on the bike paths, golf, tennis and basketball courts, at The Inkwell, Circuit Avenue, Giordano’s, Back Door Donuts, Deon’s, Oyster Bar Grill, The Mediterranean, Marla’s at The Island House, Ben & Bill’s, Linda Jean’s, Biscuits, The Flying Horses, The Locker Room, Cousen Rose, C’est le Vie and L’Elegance there can’t possibly be anyone Black back over there in America.

Except President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their children Sasha and Malia—and they’re due here Sunday, August 23.