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Following in the Footsteps ofDr. Martin Luther KingBy Hubert WilliamsOak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts-- Finally, I have followed in the footsteps of one ofAmerica's greatest patriots of modern times, thecivil rights martyr Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, andhave stayed at the imposing seafront residencewhere he was accommodated during visits to thiscelebrated vacation centre in the US northeast.
"Villa Nova" at the junction of Sea View Avenue and Narragansette Avenue,Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, on the shore of Nantucket Sound"Villa Rosa" is, to my eyes, the most imposingand distinguishable residence directly fronting thesea on the Oak Bluffs coast, half a mile from theTerminal where vessels dock - especially the largeferries after their 40-minute crossing from WoodsHole on the Massachusetts coast.
There is a plaque (photo above) at the mainentrance to "Villa Rosa" attesting to role of thisresidence in American civil rights history, notingthat it had served as the "summer White House"for the movement, and listing Dr. King and otherdistinguished American Blacks who stayed therewhen on the Vineyard.The plaque says in full:“African American Heritage Trail of Martha'sVineyard: " I've seen the Promised Land. I maynot get there with you, but I want you to know
that we as a people will get to the PromisedLand. And I'm happy tonight. I'm not worriedabout anything." Dr. Martin Luther King 1968."Thishouseserved asthesummerWhiteHouse fortheLeaders ofthe CivilRightsMovementwhostayedhere asguests oftheOvertonFamily. Ahouse oflove andtranquility,
it provided solace and inspiration for thosewho worked tirelessly for Justice andFreedom.“Guests included Dr. Martin Luther King,Malcolm X, Mr. Adam Clayton Powell Jr, JoeLouis, Harry Belefonte.Villa Rosa owned by the Zila Family – 2004.”(Thesinger'sname isusuallyspelt'Belafonte)Richard"Yom"Bolling, 60,the current"VillaRosa"Caretaker,has aspecialrelationship
with the house within the walls of which he said heoften played as a boy, for his family lived at thehouse 'next door', another large 19th centuryproperty of which they have retainedproprietorship.Yom remarked to me about "Villa Rosa": "Thisis not merelyjust anotherhouse.anotherresidence.This is ahome oflove. aplace ofinspiration.and it is notwithoutsignificancethat yourfamily, whichis
demonstrating so much love, has been drawn tospend this week within its beautiful surroundings".Yom, himself seemingly deeply spiritual,relates interesting stories about the environment ofpeace, tranquility and love within the walls of VillaRosa, which is reported to have been constructedsometime in the 1870s and he believes there wasDivine guidance that brought Dr. King and otherCivil Rights leaders and influential Blacks of thatperiod to have council within its walls.He also believes there was Divine interventionto guide the course of the current owner ValerieMosley towards the acquisition of "Villa Rosa",when already she had committed towards thepurchase of another property on the island.(Valerie Mosley is Chairwoman of Valmo Ventures,which creates, collaborates and invests in companies,assets, and efforts that have significant potential togrow, profit and add value to society. Prior to ValmoVentures, Valerie was Partner, Senior Vice-Presidentand Investment Strategist at Wellington ManagementCompany, LLP, an 800 billion global moneymanagement firm.)
Yomapart, andregardlessofwhateverunseenforces areat workwithin thislarge andbeautifulhome, it isjoyful to behere - evenif only for aweek - and to tread along the pathways wheresuch distinguished footsteps have trod before.It is pleasing to be here on vacation in thisremarkable home with close-knit family and friends– adults, teenagers, and some pre-10s - promotingfamiliarity among family and friends, the bondingof generations and the strengthening ofunderstanding.
These annual 'get-togethers' away from thehustle and bustle of 'everyday life' and in theserenity of this holiday mecca in the northeastprovide a great opportunity also for those who socan to counsel and to guide, or just to have opendiscussions and debates with teens who may beentering their final year of high school andconsidering the right pick for college, or arealready college-bound.
And for the much younger children, it is aperiod of observation of acceptable behavioursand repeated demonstration of family values.Thus itis that theseannualMartha'sVineyardgetawaysare morethan merelyvacations.Theseyoungstersmust notsimplyfollow infootsteps;they mustpush theFamily’s bar ever upwards. As my generationexceeded the achievements of our parents, and asour children have evidently gone beyond ourlevels, so must theirs seek to achieve, excel andcreate new testing targets for their own offspring,
and to society’s advantage.Despite all of the other interesting activities andthe many discussion sessions, their main Martha’s2012 Project was to interview, individually, all ofthe adults (family members and friends) abouttheir lives and present a video-graphic production.This was done to the assembled household on thenight before departure.It was a highly interesting presentation (fortheir questioning had been bold and probing).However, more than that were their answers whenshortly afterwards they were questioned by thesubjects in their video about what they hadlearned during the week – about themselves,about interacting with the adults, about discipline,time management, their aspirations in educationand what careers attracted them.Therefore, being here together again withspecific targets of visits, observation,conversation, counseling and enjoyment wouldseem compensation enough, but almost alwaysthere is a coincidence between our family’s visitand the Vineyard vacation of President BarackObama and his family, though we’ve never seen
them.As I comfortably took my steps in the pathsonce trod by Dr. King and other illustriousAmerican sons and daughters, and confidentlyprepared for dinner and later bed, there wasrecollection of last summer’s adventure at anothervery large but less well-cared home just about 200metres away, where, for some yet unexplainedreason, I captured an apparition in my cameraand, as mysteriously, was later that night
unceremoniously tumbled out of my bed.I have had many responses to the report onthe 2011 visit and the unique photograph which Idistributed, but among the most interesting wasone which said I might well go down in history asthe first person ever to have photographed a ghost(photo repeated below). I have as yet had nocredible explanation as to the phenomenon.
Dr. Martin Luther King By Hubert Williams Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts -- Finally, I have followed in the footsteps of one of America's greatest patriots of modern times, the civil rights martyr Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, and have stayed at the imposing seafront
