AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 1

Culture
Shoes were quickly discarded in
favor of the feel of sand and surf and
sun on bare feet. Among the guests, a
number of people in the fashion world
came to celebrate the couple’s anniversary.
Fashion designer Jerome
LaMaar arrived in a flowing lilac
kimono, while stylist James Bianca
stunned in an African wax print dress.
Vintage blogger Krystle DeSantos
came in a stylish assortment with a
‘70s vibe. In addition to the fashion
crowd, other creatives were also in attendance,
including interior designer
Mikel Welch from TLC’s Trading
Spaces, and advertiser Law Smithson.
Over the years, Sag Harbor
and its many beaches have seen
countless days like this, when African
Americans gathered to celebrate
moments like these. It’s a history
that begins with freed slaves coming
as laborers in the 19th century, and
later in the 1940s, African Americans
developing safe places of refuge
and leisure. This was particularly
true in the Sag Harbor Hills, where
African Americans have lived in the
beach community since World War
II. During the Jim Crow era, the area
served as a seasonal destination for
affluent and middle class African
Americans. Notable figures, including
Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Duke
Ellington, and Langston Hughes
to name a few, have long come to
Sag Harbor as a summer retreat.
The area’s legacy is so important
to American history that the SANS
neighborhood, named for the historically
Black Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest
and Ninevah areas, was recently
added to the New York State Register
of Historic Places. “When we first
began visiting Sag Harbor, we always
felt a connection to the town, but
had no idea of the history,” remarks
Donnell.
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