Celebrating and amplifying Islanders of color who help shape the vibrant, diverse fabric of the Martha’s Vineyard community. Sign-up for a monthly newsletter by Sharisse Scott-Rawlins below.
VOICES bySharisse: Who gets to call Martha’s Vineyard home?
For many, the Martha’s Vineyard they know begins Memorial Day weekend. It begins with ferries cutting across bright blue water. With beach chairs unfolded beneath the July sun. With Circuit Avenue alive again at night, and the feeling that the Island somehow exists outside of time. But for the people who live here — and…
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VOICES bySharisse: Vineyard Grocer’s season of gratitude
As the holiday season settles onto Martha’s Vineyard, grocery carts begin to fill with intention. Families gather ingredients for meals that mean far more than food; they’re preparing for moments that bring them back to one another. And in the…
VOICES bySharisse: New Life in the heart of Oak Bluffs
On a bright Sunday morning in Oak Bluffs, voices rise in harmony from a small but spirited congregation. The rhythms of gospel and reggae intertwine inside New Life Ministries International M.V., Martha’s Vineyard’s newest Pentecostal church. Hands clap, feet sway,…
VOICES bySharisse: Turning Pain into Purpose
On the evening of August 31, beneath the open sky at Vineyard Gardens, I experienced one of the most meaningful moments of my life: the Dear Fellow Warrior Book Release Soirée. The garden transformed into something sacred that night—a runway…
VOICES bySharisse: At the heart of every great school
At the heart of every great school are the people who guide, nurture, and inspire its students. At the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, that vision begins with Director Peter Steedman, whose own journey has spanned continents — from childhood…
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A monthly newsletter celebrating and amplifying Islanders of color who help shape the vibrant, diverse fabric of the Martha’s Vineyard community.
Sharisse Scott-Rawlins
Sharisse Scott-Rawlins is a storyteller whose work takes many forms—through fashion, writing, poetry, community engagement, and the preservation of history. A third-generation Washashore with deep roots on Martha’s Vineyard, she is the founder and designer of the fashion design and production brand bySharisse, established in 2010; author of the self-help poetry memoir Dear Fellow Warrior; and founder and curator of Voices bySharisse, an editorial platform created in partnership with The Martha’s Vineyard Times.
Through Voices bySharisse, Sharisse celebrates the rich and diverse fabric of Island life while preserving stories, elevating community voices, and highlighting the people, traditions, and initiatives shaping Martha’s Vineyard today. She created the platform in honor of her grandparents’ legacy as trailblazing educators and community leaders whose impact continues to be felt on the Island and beyond. Sharisse believes storytelling has the power to connect people, preserve culture, and inspire change.