Black people have ninety-nine problems, but Donald Trump ain’t one

ThyBlackMan.com — The sky is blue, God is real, Trump is president, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Kamala was a disaster, Obama was horrible for Blacks, radical Black liberals are obsessed with race, and radical Black liberals will congregate in Martha’s Vineyard to complain about white folks in August, etc., etc., etc.

This annual pilgrimage to Martha’s Vineyard and more specifically, The Inkwell is as predictable as Democrats ignoring the Black vote.

Martha’s Vineyard is a 112 square mile island in Massachusetts, known for its mix of coastal beauty, historic towns, and cultural heritage. The Inkwell (officially Town Beach) is a specific, historically significant beach in Oak Bluffs, MA, on the island, celebrated for its role in Black history.

Martha’s Vineyard is a summer resort destination with a rich history dating back to the 18th century when Methodist and Baptist revivals drew visitors. It has evolved from whaling, brickmaking, and farming into a scenic, cultural hub with towns like Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Falmouth. The island offers beaches, historic sites, art galleries, and seasonal events, and it has a diverse cultural fabric.

The Inkwell is a small, sandy stretch of beach in Oak Bluffs, MA near the ferry terminal, popular for its gentle waves and central location. Its name comes from a derogatory nickname used in the late 1800s for the Black community that frequented it.

Blacks began visiting the Inkwell during the Great Migration, attracted by Oak Bluffs’ openness during this time of segregation.

The Great Migration, sometimes known as the Great Northward Migration or the Black Migration, was the movement of six million Black Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970.

In 1912, Charles and Henrietta Shearer opened the first Black owned inn on the island, catering to Black vacationers.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

I had the fortune of knowing many of the legendary families who were foundational to the Inkwell.  The ones I knew are all dead, but sitting at their feet and learning history from their lived experiences was phenomenal.

When these very wealthy, successful, influential Blacks made their annual August trek to the Inkwell it was not only for vacation, but also to discuss solutions to what ailed the Black community.  Let me reiterate—SOLUTIONS, not complaints about white folks.

They did not spend their precious time talking about how racist presidents like Roosevelt, Truman Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, or LBJ were.  They believed in the Colin Powell doctrine of “constructive engagement.”

These Oldtimers from the Inkwell believed in talking through their disagreements with people in power, both Democrats and Republicans.

They were focused on solutions that would make life better for the whole of the Black community; not simply flexing and self-congratulating each other about their latest material purchases—their new vacation home, their new Rolls Royce, or their latest million-dollar contribution to the boule!!!

I have had many opportunities to go to the Vineyard, but up now have refused all offers because I have to be in a certain mental frame of mind to be around these types of arrogant, uppity Black folks.

I am not there yet.

I know many who are about to make this annual pilgrimage.

These are the who’s who of corporate, political, and Black high society in America.  These are some of the highest-level executives in Fortune 500 companies.  These are some of the most successful entrepreneurs in America.

They are the talented tenth, the bourgeoisie, and the boule.

The talented tenth was made famous by W.E.B. Du Bois, a prominent Black historian and civil rights legend from the early nineteen hundreds.

In his 1903 essay The Talented Tenth, Du Bois argued,  “That for the Black community to rise from the vestiges of slavery and systemic oppression, a small group of the most talented and educated individuals must be trained as leaders, intellectuals, and professionals…They are supposed to serve as role models, uplift the masses and advocate for civil rights, education and political participation.”

Du Bois would be very disappointed that the opposite is occurring today.

The bourgeoisie and the boule will use the occasion of this annual tradition to pair off their young adult children with what they deem to be suitable potential spouses for marriage.  They want to keep their bloodlines pure, socially, financially, and politically.

There will be multiple millions of dollars spent during the month of August on hotels, housing, and exotic catered parties to talk about how bad America is!

There will be no mention of the steady Black on Black killings in Chicago, Baltimore, New York City, or St. Louis; there will be no mention of the out of control out of wedlock birthrates in our community. Despite their protestations to the contrary, these pathologies have nothing to do with Donald Trump, racism or poverty.

It has everything to do with the destruction of the Black family and more specifically the Black male.  The supposed talented tenth do not want to have the discussion about how these radical liberal Democrat policies have and are continuing to destroy the very group they claim to speak for and represent.

There will be no mention of how illegal immigrants are devastating the Black community with murder, increased housing cost, and rising unemployment.

But there will be sunup to sundown conversation about how racist Donald Trump is; how America is racist towards Blacks, and how the legacy of slavery is at the root of all that ails the Black community.

The founders of the Inkwell would be totally ashamed of the state of the Black community today.  They had less opportunity in their time but lived a better quality of life than we are living today.

Make it make sense!!!

Today’s Blacks are doing very well financially, but I would argue that we have a lower quality of life than our forefathers.

We have more material possessions, but our families are in an alarming state of dysfunctionality.

©2026 Raynard Jackson. All rights reserved.