There's a place where Black families have gathered, owned homes, and rested for generations, and a lot of folks have the completely wrong idea about it. Martha's Vineyard has a rich history as one of the few places Black Americans could own property when they were shut out almost everywhere else. Civil rights leaders vacationed here. Families have been coming for decades. And yet the name carries this reputation of being wealthy, elite, maybe a little snooty, that keeps people from ever seeing it for themselves. In this episode, Dr. Ebony I. Green sits down on the island with Solange Collins, a Brooklyn-raised, Trinidadian-American HR leader who has been coming to the Vineyard for the better part of two decades. Ebony came in with her own doubts, she'd turned down invitations for years, and found something completely different than she expected: a place where people hug instead of shake hands, where elders sit on their porches like they're watching over everybody's kids, and where connection runs deeper than anywhere she'd been. They talk about community, belonging, rest, and how you turn pain into love. In this episode: Why Martha's Vineyard, and the history of Black families owning property here The reputation that keeps people away, and why it isn't true Coming in with your own biases about "wealthy and elite" and being proven wrong A place that feels like a family reunion, with more family added every year Watching young people be safe, free, and not policed Why parents can finally breathe, and what that means after Trayvon Martin Elders on their porches, and having grandparents who aren't your grandparents "You sit with nine millionaires, you're gonna be the tenth" How to actually plan a trip here if you don't know anyone Rest, balance, and how you know when you're out of balance The sandwich generation, caregiving, and losing the small stuff as you get older "You die from the inside out, not the outside in" Turning a childhood of abuse into a life of helping others Why helping other people heals something in you too What it means to be a kind soul Solange Collins is a Brooklyn-raised, Trinidadian-American HR leader and co-founder of Blue Sky Talent, with years of experience across the advertising industry supporting and mentoring people through their careers. Dr. Ebony I. Green is an award-winning speaker, educational consultant, and author of Acts of Liberation: Opening the Box to Self-Transformation. She helps leaders and organizations treat kindness as a revolutionary force, not a soft skill. Subscribe for your daily reminder to lead with love. New episodes every week. We raise the vibration of kindness on a global scale. Content note: this episode includes a discussion of childhood sexual abuse. Support the show Want to support us? Buy us a cup of coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/hellokindsoul
