AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 1

Culture
For this special day at Havens
Beach, with the historic SANS houses
in the background, guests gathered
for an intimate afternoon soirée.
Donnell and Courtney worked with
John Goodman of JL Goodman Design
to create the perfect look for their
gathering. Sitting firmly in the sand,
with the tide lapping about its legs,
a carved, wooden table looked as if it
had risen magically from the ocean.
Goodman’s design featured a bold mix
of pink, fuchsia and lavender, offering
a bright pop of color against nature’s
palette of green, blue, and sandy
brown. The tablescape, with pampas
grass and fuchsia coral, was a modern
nod to the coastal setting, complete
with beach sand and pebbles dusted
lightly across the surface of the table.
Against the backdrop of sand and
surf, guests toasted the couple while
nibbling on local cheeses, fruits, and
vegetables all from the Hudson Valley.
As Courtney and Donnell
learned about the history of the
place following their first visit, they
began to better understand the connection
that they felt whenever they
were there. Prior to the Civil Rights
Movement, African Americans were
not allowed access to many of the
beaches and entertainment activities
in the area - so we created our
own. For over 40 years, the summer
crowd in Sag Harbor consisted of a
mix of affluent and middle-class Black
people. Doctors, lawyers, educators,
and blue-collar professionals met
each year to escape the racism that
they faced in the world away from
the beach. Meanwhile many of these
families took advantage of the opportunity
to buy beachfront property,
a chance that was scarcely available
elsewhere. Today, many of the homes
in the area have been passed down to
family members and there are still a
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