Grief, family, race, healthcare and identity were at the center of multiple discussions at the recent Martha’s Vineyard Community, Purpose and Legacy Series.
The energetic crowd at the Tabernacle Thursday evening applauded three husband and wife pairings, with the female authors introduced by their husbands. Dr. Sharon Malone, author of Grown Women Talk, was introduced by her husband, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; Nicole Avant, author of Think You’ll Be Happy, was introduced by her husband, Co-CEO of Netflix Ted Sarandos; and Michele Norris, author of Our Hidden Conversations, was introduced by her husband, Comcast executive vice president Broderick Johnson.
Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee were guest hosts, welcoming attendees and thanking sponsors and organizers.
Ms. Avant spoke with moderator A.R. Bernard about her book, which highlights the journey of grief, loss and faith. The title, Ms. Avant told the audience, was inspired by a text Ms. Avant received from her mother hours before she was killed in her home. Her parents greatly influenced her faith and perspective on life.
“They believed in legacy, empowerment, paying it forward and passing the baton,” Ms. Avant said. “My mom loved living from an eternal point of view of I only have a certain amount of time on Earth, and so I’m going to do everything that I possibly can. And she raised me like that.”
As she was struggling to write after her mother’s death, Ms. Avant’s father, music executive Clarence Avant, helped steady her.
“I said, Daddy, I can’t finish this book,” she recalled. “It’s on grace and gratitude. How am I going to put out a book on grace and gratitude after mom was just killed? And he looked at me, in his Clarence Avant way, and he said,’Are you gonna let this man take your life too? Are you gonna give up?’”
Ms. Norris and Ms. Malone took the stage next, talking to each other about their respective books. Ms. Malone said she was inspired by her work as an OB/GYN.
“I wanted to make it personal, because I’m a sister, I’m a friend, I’m a daughter, and I want to give to my friends and my family the good advice that I want to share with everyone,” Ms. Malone said.” So every chapter starts with Dear Sis, because I want to tell you why [it’s important]. It comes from love. “
Ms. Norris’s book, Our Hidden Conversations, shares numerous stories about people’s views on race and identity in the country. She said while researching she would ask people to answer the prompt: Race. Your Thoughts. Six Words. Please Send.
“A woman named Michelle from Covington, La. came in on a Saturday morning and her six words were ‘black babies cost less to adopt’ and that hit me,” Ms. Norris said. “It’s amazing what you can do if you give people permission to have a conversation.”
The night was also interspersed with song, featuring performances from Brian Courtney Wilson and Eddie Levert of the O’Jays.
All panelists at the event, organized by Marvet Britto and James Hester, lifted up the themes of inspiration and hope.
“People can’t just get the baton and then stay on the mountaintop,” Ms. Avant said. “That’s not life. You can get on the mountaintop, but all of us collectively need to turn around and see who else is coming up the mountain and help pass the baton.”
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