Ralph Lauren just dropped a collection inspired by Oak Bluffs — the historic Black summer haven on Martha’s Vineyard — and Black folks have some thoughts. While many are embracing the nod to a rich cultural legacy, some are side-eyeing the “Jack and Jill” vibes of the collection, calling out what they see as a celebration of Black elitism.
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“Our portrait of American style, and our vision of the American dream, would be incomplete without Black experiences like this,” designer Ralph Lauren stated in the collection’s promo video details.
However, the collection is catching serious heat for reasons other than the fashions. Let’s quickly unpack that before we get into the amazing Black history:
The Contro: Folks are calling out the brand for what they see as cultural appropriation, claiming Ralph Lauren is jacking Black culture without truly understanding or giving back to the community it’s supposedly celebrating. Critics argue that the brand’s DEI efforts are merely performative, perpetuating outdated stereotypes rather than demonstrating genuine appreciation.
The History: With that out of the way, we can now delve into the rich history of Oak Bluffs, which is inextricably linked to Charles Shearer.
Born to a Black slave woman and a slave owner in the 1800s, Shearer and his wife opened the first Black-owned inn in Oak Bluffs in 1912 called Shearer Cottage. More than just a business, this was an act of defiance in an America riddled with discrimination and racial segregation, where safe lodging for Black travelers was a rare luxury. The Inn quickly became a Black draw during periods of Black economic advancement.
“A “who’s who” of prominent African Americans steadily streamed into the cottage throughout the decades. Madame C.J. Walker, singer and activist Paul Robeson, actress Ethel Waters, and opera singer Lillian Evanti all stayed there. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., New York’s first representative in Congress of African American descent, regularly summered at the cottage during his childhood. And Lionel Richie and the Commodores, who were managed for a time by a third-generation Shearer, spent summers there honing their craft,” According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Tucked along the northeastern shore of Martha’s Vineyard, Oak Bluffs became one of the only places where Black families — including proud alumni of Spelman, Morehouse, and Howard — could vacation freely when segregation shut us out of beaches. Nicknamed “The Black Hamptons,” the town has been a sanctuary of legacy, community, and generational joy for over a century. By the 1930s, a wave of Black homeownership transformed it into a summer refuge for the Black middle and upper class — a place to exhale, connect, and claim space, proudly.
Boston-born novelist Dorothy West of the Harlem Renaissance grew up visiting Oak Bluffs every year and spoke with love of the sunny vacay spot, saying at Oak Bluffs it was “always summer.”
Powell even urged Black folks to visit the oasis in his newspaper the People’s Voice. By 1950, Black doctors, lawyers, and executives began to visit regularly, slowly building the legacy Ralph Lauren so eloquently celebrated in this iconic collection, which dropped July 24.
The Famous Beach Called The Inkwell: At the heart of Oak Bluffs sits The Inkwell — not just a beach, but a piece of Black history. Even during Jim Crow, Black folks could swim, sunbathe, and just be, without getting side-eyed or harassed. The name “Inkwell” started as a dig against us, but we flipped it — turning that stretch of sand into a symbol of resistance and pride, which still holds weight till this day.
That said, Oak Bluffs has never been able to escape its reputation of Black elitism. In fact, that is the center of those who dislike Lauren’s collection. According to one user, the collection was “trash” (whew, the disrespect), saying he “Doesn’t identify with that whole ‘Jack and Jill’ crowd.” It’s clear some are only comfortable with a struggle narrative, while ignoring the fact we do in fact have our own Americana history.
TikTok user Mark Nichols argued that the African American experience is not a “monolith,” adding that just because a story is “Not about poverty does not mean that it doesn’t deserve to be told.” In so many words, he’s slamming the misery marketing so many are used to… and honestly, it’s about time.
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