Our Cursed Discourse Came for Martha's Vineyard. I Still Went.

As August finally comes to a close, I'm sure the residents of Martha's Vineyard are relieved that the go-go-go pace of a place where some of the roads are dirt is almost over. They're also probably grateful that the Black elitism discourse is almost (temporarily) dead, as people move on to newer things to freak out about.

But this year's "OMG I HATE THESE UPPITY MARTHA'S VINEYARD NEGROES" debate online?

I don't even remember how it began.

Was it the Ralph Lauren fashion capsule made for Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard, or was it that random post on Threads going on about the Atlanta-fication of a place that sometimes costs as much as (or more than) going overseas?

Love Atlanta or hate Atlanta — I've never spent more than a few hundred dollars to get there and back, and never paid more than a few hundred a night to stay at a hotel. One year, I rented an old, quirky farmhouse in Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard. The rental cost me $7,000 for a week in August. And that was pre-pandemic. I shared the house with four adults and two kids, and I'm pretty sure the price has only gone up since then.

I did not grow up vacationing in Martha's Vineyard. In fact, I did not grow up "vacationing" anywhere, unless you counted my Granny's house in Newport, Ark. I am from North St. Louis County, land of strip malls, chain restaurants, and Christian churches of every denomination, because apparently no one can agree on how to worship Jesus. With my anxious, homebody mother and forever-working father, we were fortunate to have taken that trip to Disney World in Orlando when I was around 9.

But I say this to say, I am not from whatever imaginary stock people think you're supposed to be to visit Martha's Vineyard. I grew up eating Velveeta, being my dad's channel changer for the TV when he was too lazy to get up, and carpooling to public school with my childhood friends, the Whittingtons, in their family station wagon. And so did many other people who visit Martha's Vineyard. (Well, they probably weren't in the backseat with me and Daryl Whittington, whom I've known since pre-school, but they probably did everything else.)

I know the concept of "Black Excellence" has become a lightning rod because of class tensions within our community and some of the ridiculousness that comes with the so-called "Black elite," but the heat people are throwing over the Martha's Vineyard set isn't really fair. And the perceived "elitism" of Black Greek letter organizations or folks who attended historically Black colleges isn't really fair. HBCUs have traditionally taken in students who need more help getting prepared for college and have offered various financial aid options, providing opportunities to students who might be rejected by majority white institutions. And most BGLOs will let you join with a 2.5 grade point average. Plus, if you don't want to deal with the foolishness that can sometimes come with undergrad chapters, you can always join a graduate chapter.

But, for the record, you don't need to do any of this. Like, ANY, if you want to go to Martha's Vineyard. There is no list of qualifications one needs to sit outside eating copious amounts of seafood. To go there, all you need to do is spend a ton of money while playing planes, trains, and automobiles to get to the island. Because being part of the so-called "Black Excellence" crew doesn't necessarily get you to Martha's Vineyard, but having a bunch of cash on hand will!

The only thing stopping you from spending an afternoon on Inkwell Beach or standing in line for a donut at Backdoor Donuts is the same thing that's keeping you from visiting the south of France or Ibiza — money. If you can afford it, you can go. Once you get there, everyone is friendly and kind to everyone, because why be mean? It's a sleepy beach town where people sometimes don't lock their doors. It's where packs of Black teenagers roam unencumbered and unsupervised, and no one bothers them. It's where you relax and "get away" from the hustle and bustle of city life. Plus, you probably traveled on three planes or drove hundreds of miles to get on a ferry to get there. It costs too much money and is too hard to get there to start policing and gatekeeping everyone else on the island. If you got there, you're in. Now go eat some oysters and take a nap in a hammock.

The only real problem with Martha's Vineyard is that it's become too expensive for the people who actually live there. (YES, PEOPLE ARE FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND ARE NOT RICH!) It's too expensive for the East Coast-based middle and working-class Black families who used to visit. It's too expensive for the indigenous people, Black people, and multiracial people who are actually from the island. It's too expensive for the doctors, schoolteachers, and other workers who live on the island. And it's too expensive for the seasonal workers who come to Martha's Vineyard to work in restaurants, hotels, or drive car services.

However, there's a solution for the crowds and insane prices — don't come in August!

August is when the art show, the film festival, and the Obamas, along with everyone and their mother, are on the island, creating long lines at Fat Ronnie's. But if you just want to RELAX and CHILL in what is essentially a sleepy beach town with deep historical ties to the Black community, go in July. Go in June. Go in September and enjoy the safety, peace, and quiet, as well as the beaches, seafood, and family time. And yes, I said family time because that's who vacations here. Families. This is not the place to find a date, because everyone has brought their date with them.

This is why the "Atlanta-fication" argument fell flat for me. Because ...

1) Atlanta is a perfectly fun town on its own, and to quote one of its most famous residents, Nene "Now, why am I in it?" Leakes — how did Atlanta even get in this convo? I get that Atlanta has become this "slang" for an overcrowded, scammy experience, but what makes Atlanta fun is its large Black population, complete with several historic Black colleges and universities, its rich history, delicious food, music, and culture, and ties to the Civil Rights Movement. The large number of Black people living there, along with the opportunities that come with a city of such great magnitude, have created the Hollywood of the South, and many have found gold in those rolling hills of Georgia.

2) So, you want to pick the scammiest, most overcrowded, and expensive experience in Atlanta and slander a relatively chill beach town with it? You're comparing apples to kumquats. Atlanta is a go-go-go, fun, money-making city in the otherwise slow and easy South. Martha's Vineyard is just a bunch of people with sand in their toes— who may or may not be rich — in shorts and boat shoes, eating lobster at Larsens with their hands. A place where even the most glamorous events involve flat sandals.

3) Lastly, stop slandering places for simply being associated with Black people — whether it's money-making Atlanta or "take a nap outdoors" Martha's Vineyard. Black does not equal "bad." Although Martha's Vineyard is crowded in August with Black people attending events like the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, that's not a bad thing. The expense that comes with it being a hot ticket is what sucks. Every Black person should get to feel the relaxation and freedom that comes with Oak Bluffs. Also, leave Atlanta alone. In fact, leave all majority Black cities alone. While some may have issues, what city doesn't? I currently live in NYC, the richest city in America, with our faux hip hop cop mayor and Billionaires' Row, and this is one of the most segregated places I've ever lived. And I'm from the very segregated St. Louis, where they pulled out the tanks and long guns on Black teenagers a little over 10 years ago in Ferguson, Mo.

Black doesn't mean "bad." Black people have been vacationing in Martha's Vineyard for generations. Please watch "Forever" on Netflix to see an accurate depiction of the experience. Stop using Atlanta as shorthand for "ratchet." Stop confusing people's appreciation for nice things with elitism. No one has to join a BGLO or attend an HBCU if they don't want to. Go live your life. Enjoy your life. Go to Martha's Vineyard or go to my grandmother's house. Eat a lobster roll or not. Be merry!

Can't wait to see what we'll be fighting over next month as our society continues to crumble around us! Oh wait? We're back to bashing Meghan Sussex over her TV show coming back?

The discourse is doomed, y'all.