Vineyard Icon Awards Honor Black Legacy on Martha’s Vineyard

On Martha’s Vineyard, legacy hits different. The idyllic island, tucked off the Massachusetts coast of Cape Cod, has served as a sanctuary for Black Americans for more than a hundred years. From the days of seeking refuge and restoration from segregation to today’s joy-filled gatherings celebrating Black films and books, the Vineyard’s happy place status remains soulfully and spiritually intact. During a live recording of her IMO podcast at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, Michelle Obama explained that her Secret Service detail allows her to drive on the island. She effusively quipped, “I’s free!”.

That euphoria of freedom is a feeling that has surrounded Erin Goldson her whole life. For five generations, her family has spent memorable summers on the island, and her 99-year-old grandmother calls it home year-round. Even in Goldson’s adult years, working as a marketing strategist in rooms from Hollywood to Congress, it was her time on Martha’s Vineyard that grounded her purpose. This calling would come to life at the first Vineyard Icon awards, which took place last Saturday at the Farm Neck Golf Club.

“The Vineyard is a very special place for our family. It’s where my parents met, where they got married. When my dad passed away, it’s where we decided to let him rest. For so many, so many people in this room, it is their happy place,” Goldson told to guests who included Gayle King, Cory BookerLynn Whitfield, Latoya Luckett, Elaine Welteroth and more.
“However, I also noticed, over the years, a lot of companies were doing events here and they were wonderful. I attend them all. But one of the things I noticed was there wasn’t an event focused on the people; the people who make the Vineyard special. That’s how being an Icon Award was born.”

The 2025 Vineyard Icon honorees include McKinsey & Company senior partner Shelley Stewart III (Business Impact Award), Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival founders Floyd & Stephanie Rance (Trailblazer Couple Award), music executive Troy Carter (Cultural Visionary Award), former Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms (Excellence in Public Leadership Award) and documentarian Dawn Porter (Legacy Through Storytelling Award). CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange anchor Frank Holland served as host

With a freshly manicured lawn as a backdrop, the Farm Neck Club’s café deck was transformed into a summer soiree for the inaugural program. An abundance of roses, hydrangeas, and Persian buttercups filled archways and tablescapes while guests were served Crown Royal signature cocktails and lite bites. Attendees were offered fans not only as a respite from the summer heat, but with intention with each wave to feel “a whisper of gratitude.”
Actress Lynn Whitfield, breezing through the tent in a wide-brimmed hat, was among the many guests who have found community on Martha’s Vineyard. “I’ve been visiting the island for seven years, initially drawn by friends’ invitations and later appreciating its charm,” she told EBONY. “The island is described as a safe, welcoming space where one can let down their guard and feel part of a chosen family.”

Rebecca Beliard, of RPB Law Firm in Miami, signed on as a supporter of Goldson’s vision, ensuring a legacy for future generations. “Our firm is proud to sponsor the inaugural awards, and we know that it’s going to become such a monumental moment during MVAAFF,” Beliard said to EBONY. “Everyone who comes here and feels like they have a safe space, especially during the times that we live in now. Part of the mission of RPB Law Firm is to pour into Black and brown communities and help them with their intellectual property, protect their legacies and help them build and elevate so that we can pass it down.”