The African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard has announced the addition of a new board member.
Dr. J. Keith Motley was the first African American chancellor of UMass Boston, a position he served in for a decade; he is a tenured professor at UMass Boston’s College of Management.
“The African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard is delighted to welcome Dr. Keith Motley to our board of directors,” a statement from the Heritage Trail announcing the new board member read. “It is an honor to have him join us in our ongoing mission to document and share the African American history of Martha’s Vineyard.”
Motley served as the eighth chancellor for UMass Boston, from 2007 to 2017. New Balance Corp. created the Dr. J. Keith Motley Chair for Sports Leadership in his honor in 2018. He serves on boards of numerous organizations, including the Carney Hospital, the Boston Foundation, the Sports Museum, Stonehill College, Eastern Bank, and the Freedom House.
Motley was named to the Boston Business Journal’s “Power 50” list of Boston-area influencers five years in a row. In 2016 and 2023, he was named to the “Get Konnected! 100” list of Boston’s 100 Most Influential People of Color. Most recently, the University of Massachusetts Boston named its residence hall complex in honor of Dr. Motley and his wife Angela.
