The Martha’s Vineyard Diversity Coalition (MVDC) has been producing its significant and impactful Truth & Joy celebrations for three years, and this year’s was as exceptional as the others.
The celebration was part of MVDC’s endeavors to identify and eliminate racism in institutions and the community. They work with Vineyard agencies, schools, M.V. Hospital, and Island police departments to help them make diversity, equity, and inclusion a reality rather than a concept.
The two-day event began on Thursday, July 18, at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, a first-time collaboration for the pair.
The “Truth” portion of the evening began with “Honoring the People of Noepe,” a fascinating film developed by the MVDC education committee in tribute to the Island’s Wampanoag people. Education committee co-chair Jocelyn Coleman Walton said, “Our goal is to support the Island schools so that every child has an education where they feel safe, secure, and valued. In 2022, we wanted to start with the native people of the Island in terms of honoring, recognizing, and celebrating that part of the Vineyard’s diversity.”
Walton and co-chair Lisa Pimentel developed a slide show, which they made into a film, after attending a program that David Vanderhoop did on Indigenous People’s Day to present to the All-Island School Committee. The education committee consulted with tribal members when developing the project, including Bettina Washington, David Two Arrows Vanderhoop, Saskia Vanderhoop, Nanauwe Vanderhoop, Martha Vanderhoop, and board member and lead event planner for Truth & Joy, Chrissie Laury.
Using persuasive information, the film asked the All-Island School Committee to address four goals: to start each day with land acknowledgments, eliminate Columbus Day from the school calendars, incorporate Indigenous People’s Day, and find ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. We learned things like that Christopher Columbus sent thousands of Tainos to Spain as enslaved people, and that his treatment of the native peoples was so horrendous that he was brought back to Spain in chains and tried for crimes against humanity.
We also saw a video trailer with interviews of Marie Allen, Walton, and Beverly Wright by MVRHS and Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School students in the education committee’s Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Elders Oral History Project. The students interviewed 17 elders of color about their experience on the Island. It was developed by Deirdre L. Brown, Batya Diamond, Lynn Ditchfield, Victoria Dryfoos, Mona Hennessy, Thelma Johnson, Linsey Lee, Abigail McGrath, Ena Thulin, and Gail Tipton.
The third education committee project was the stunning music video “CHANGE,” developed by Lisa Pimentel, Victoria Dryfoos, and Shane Finch. It was sung movingly by Charter School student Zora Morais, accompanied by educator and professional musicians Corbin Jones, Pimentel, and Bob Marlette. Emotions were high hearing the lyrics: “It’s time to make a change. Not tomorrow, together. Ready for the world to change.”
The extraordinary gospel singer Theresa Thomason, well known for her superb performances internationally, brought us together with a feeling of “Joy” to celebrate our diversity. Accompanying her were Brazilian composer and pianist Henrique Eisenmann and New York City-born-and-raised singer Keith Anthony Fluitt, who has worked with many great artists, including Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. New York City dancer Omari Contaste performed with the trio as well.
The crowd was swinging, clapping, and dancing as the evening progressed. Laury said, “I think it’s important to have gospel music because it’s so strongly rooted in the Black community.”
During the performance, there was also a silent auction, including a painting Traeger DiPietro worked on with children from Pamala Benjamin’s Sense of Wonder Camp, as well as works by Allen Whiting, Brooke Adams, Washington Ledesma, and Sandra Pimentel, chairman of the MVDC board.
The celebration continued on Saturday afternoon, July 20, at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs for the annual MVDC Cultural Diversity Fair & Celebration. Local musicians Seán McMahon, Guy Hayden and Alison Frazier Hayden, and Molly Sturgis performed. Visitors also had an opportunity to shop for Island merchandise, including from Linda Cohen of Olive Branch Fair Trade and Sea Nomad Medicinals, nosh on food by Chef Ting and Island Eats, and appreciate local art and artisans such as Ocean Jewelry artist Joan LeLacheur. People also visited tables with representatives from various Island organizations dedicated to equity, inclusion, and diversity, such as Youth Pride M.V,, Black Joy MVY, the League of Women Voters, M.V. NAACP, the Yard, Friends of Family Planning, M.V. Mediation, MVY Radio, and others.
Like the previous Truth & Joy events, this year’s was an insightful, entertaining, and fun celebration that underscored MVDC’s mission to “lay the groundwork to eradicate racism.”
Visit the M.V. Diversity Coalition website at mvdiversitycoalition.org for more information or to donate to the organization, or email at mvdcedcommittee@gmail.com.
