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Vanessa Leggard

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In Mental Wellness

Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Joy!

In Mental Wellness 8 Mins Read

A woman recently called me a “nasty misery” because I spoke up when she threatened our business and our ability to make money. For a moment, I let her words get to me. I questioned myself, replayed the conversation and wondered whether that was really how I came across. Then I remembered something I should have learned a long time ago: nobody gets to define me, disturb my peace or take ownership of my joy.

At 60, I’m finally understanding that protecting your joy doesn’t mean avoiding every conflict. Sometimes it means speaking up when something matters. Sometimes it means defending your family, your livelihood and everything you’ve worked hard to build.

Sometimes it means refusing to let somebody else’s insult become your identity. Sounds simple, right? It isn’t always. My petty side did show up. I thought, Who would say something like that about me?

Then I thought, Probably a nasty, miserable person.

Listen, I’m still a work in progress, but once I got out of my feelings, I started thinking about why she said it in the first place. If Protecting What We Built Makes Me a ‘Nasty Misery,’ I’ll Take It!

The woman who called me a nasty misery was a white woman, what people today might jokingly call a “Karen,” and she was attacking our business and, ultimately, our ability to make money.

That’s different.

This wasn’t simply somebody hurting my feelings or a disagreement that got a little heated. This was our livelihood. Something we’ve worked hard to build. I simply asked for a service that we were entitled to get. Apparently, that made me a “nasty misery.” At first, I questioned myself. Am I nasty? Am I miserable? Is that really how I come across? Then I had to catch myself. Wait a minute. I wasn’t miserable. I wasn’t looking for an argument. I was protecting our business and our ability to earn a living. There’s a difference. Once I understood that, the words started losing their power.

If protecting what we’ve worked hard to build makes me a nasty misery, okay. If speaking up when someone threatens our ability to make money earns me that title, I’ll take it.

What I’m not going to do is allow somebody to attack our livelihood and then use a label to make me feel guilty for defending it.

The more I thought about the experience, the more it reminded me of another conversation I’ve been having lately about microaggressions and what that word actually means.

Microaggressions aren’t simply someone being rude. They can show up through subtle comments, assumptions and behaviors that communicate stereotypes or diminish someone because of who they are.

For Black women, there can sometimes be another layer when we advocate for ourselves. Be assertive and you’re angry. Ask questions and you’re difficult. Defend your business and you’re aggressive. Refuse to accept disrespect and somehow you’re the problem.

Apparently, I can now add “nasty misery” to the list.

Not every disagreement between a Black person and a white person is a microaggression. That’s important to say. But sometimes it’s worth asking why certain words are used, who gets labeled for speaking up and whether the same behavior would be described differently if someone else were doing it.

I know why I spoke up. I was protecting our business, our livelihood and what we’ve built; and yes, I would do it again.

I Ain’t Scared of You MF’s

Now let me tell you about Bernie Mac. If you know, you know. Bernie Mac walked onto the Def Comedy Jam stage and delivered the line that became legendary:

It was funny, fearless and unapologetically Bernie. Somehow, all these years later, it has become the Leggard family mantra. Not literally. We’re not walking around the house yelling it at people.

Well…not every day. But the meaning behind it? Absolutely.

Photo: Kurt H. Leggard

For me, it means I’m not scared to speak up. I’m not scared to protect my family or what we’ve built. I’m not scared to say no. I’m not scared to walk away, and I’m learning not to be afraid of being misunderstood.

Most importantly, I’m no longer interested in making myself smaller just so somebody else can feel more comfortable.

That’s not anger.
That’s knowing who you are.

Joy Can Exist Right Alongside Disappointment

This summer has reminded me of that. I’ve had some incredible moments. I’ve laughed, traveled, spent time with people I love, celebrated milestones and had experiences I will never forget. I’ve also experienced disappointment, challenges and sadness.

You probably have too. That’s life.

I think many of us spend years believing we’ll finally be happy when everything falls into place. When the kids are okay. When the money is right. When the business is thriving. When the relationship is good. When everybody around us is happy.

How’s that working out? Exactly.

If we wait for everything to be perfect before allowing ourselves to experience joy, we’re going to be waiting a very long time.

I’ve learned that joy and disappointment can sit at the same table. You can be worried about something and still laugh with your friends. You can be disappointed in someone and still wake up grateful. You can be going through some stuff and still dance when your song comes on. That isn’t pretending everything is okay. That’s living.

“Is This Worth Disturbing My Peace?”

This might be one of the biggest lessons I’m learning.
Everybody doesn’t deserve access to your energy.
Someone doesn’t like you? Okay.
Someone is talking about you? Let them talk.
Someone calls you a nasty misery?
Well, apparently you can own that too.

I used to feel like I had to explain myself. I wanted people to understand my intentions. I wanted to correct the story. I wanted to know what was being said about me and, if I’m really being truthful, probably who said it.

You know you’ve done it too.

Now I’m trying to ask myself one question before giving something my energy: Is this worth disturbing my peace?

More often than not, it isn’t, that doesn’t mean I won’t speak up when it matters. Protecting your peace doesn’t require you to become silent. There’s a difference between getting pulled into unnecessary drama and standing up for yourself, your family or your livelihood, at 60, I’m finally learning the difference.

“I’m Not Saving Joy for Later”

Turning 60 has made me think differently about time.

There’s more life behind me than there was when I was 30 or 40. I don’t say that with sadness. If anything, it makes the time in front of me feel more valuable.

I want to laugh loudly, travel, dance and have those long dinners with family and friends where everybody talks too much and nobody realizes how late it has gotten. I want to write stories that matter, meet interesting people and keep discovering who I am in this chapter of my life.

I want to live while I’m living, and maybe that’s what I’m really trying to say to you.

Don’t wait for your life to become perfect before you enjoy it. Don’t allow someone else’s opinion of you to become your opinion of yourself. Don’t spend three days replaying a three-minute conversation in your head. Don’t give somebody who doesn’t even like you that much control over your happiness.

Yes, somebody called me a nasty misery. For a minute, she hurt my feelings. Then I remembered who I am.

I’m a woman who loves hard, laughs hard and protects what matters to me. I speak up when something doesn’t feel right. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don’t. I’m still learning, still growing and still figuring out how to protect my peace without losing the parts of myself that make me me.

But one thing I know for sure:

I’m not handing my joy over to anybody else.

People are going to talk. They’re going to judge. Sometimes they’ll misunderstand you, and every now and then somebody might even come up with a colorful new name for you.

Let them. Just don’t give them your joy too. That belongs to you.

So, yes, I think I’ll keep “nasty misery.” I’m starting to like her. She speaks up when she needs to, protects what she’s built and then gets right back to enjoying her life; and when she needs a little extra courage, she has the Leggard family mantra, courtesy of the late, great Bernie Mac: “I ain’t scared of you MF’s.” Neither am I.

Life is too precious and time is moving too fast. Love your people. Protect what you’ve built. Laugh whenever you can. Dance when your song comes on. Whatever you do, don’t let anybody steal your damn joy. As always, Real Talk, for Real People.

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In Hamptons Happenings

The Apollo: Where Music Meets Legacy

In Hamptons Happenings 6 Mins Read
Brownstone, photo: Kurt H. Leggard

The Apollo in the Hamptons was literally ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS.

Last year, I covered Apollo in the Hamptons from a distance. I was unable to attend the 2025 event, yet the story still resonated with me because of my Harlem roots and the Apollo’s connection to Black culture, music and history. This year was different. After sharing my 2026 pre-event editorial about the Apollo’s return and the historic connection between Harlem and Sag Harbor, I finally had the opportunity to experience it for myself. On August 1, the Apollo brought the spirit of Harlem to EHP Resort & Marina in East Hampton for an evening filled with music, dancing, great food and familiar faces. I arrived ready to cover the event and was given one simple instruction: Have a great time. How refreshing was that? I took those words seriously.

Apollo in THE HAMPTONS 2026
photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

Before August 1, I would have said the best party I attended this summer was my 60th birthday celebration. I might be slightly biased, of course, but Apollo in the Hamptons came pretty close. Let’s call it a tie.

Brownstone took us back with songs many of us grew up listening to, while Estelle brought her unmistakable sound and energy. DJ Aktive kept the music moving, Bobby Brown brought another level of excitement, and DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic turned the evening into a celebration of music across generations.

Apollo in THE HAMPTONS 2026
DJ Cassidy, photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

There is something powerful about hearing a song connected to a particular time in your life. The first few notes play, the memories return, and suddenly everyone around you is singing. Nearly 300 people danced, laughed and enjoyed being together that evening.

The Apollo has understood the power of music to bring people together for generations.

“The Apollo Brought Harlem to the Hamptons”

Seeing so many familiar faces from Sag Harbor made the evening even more meaningful for me. Harlem and Sag Harbor have shared a connection for generations. Black families from New York City came east and established communities where families could own property, gather and create traditions that continue today.

photo: Kurt H. Leggard

I was born and raised in Harlem and later built a life connected to the East End. Standing in East Hampton celebrating the Apollo while surrounded by people from Sag Harbor felt like two parts of my world coming together.

The Apollo brought Harlem to the Hamptons, yet in many ways, Harlem was already here.

“Growing Up in Harlem, The Apollo Was Part of 125th Street”

This is where Real Talk. Real People. becomes personal.

Growing up in Harlem, the Apollo wasn’t a tourist destination or simply a famous theater we read about. It was part of 125th Street and part of our neighborhood. The marquee, the crowds and the excitement surrounding Amateur Night were woven into the experience of Harlem.

Harlem, Manhattan, New York City

Sometimes you don’t fully understand the importance of the places around you when you are a child. Time gives you perspective, and I understand the Apollo differently today.

Harlem has changed tremendously since my childhood. Change is inevitable, and progress is necessary. Preserving the places that tell the story of a community is equally important.

When I walk down 125th Street today, I still want to see the Apollo marquee shining. I want to see people gathering outside. I want young artists walking through those doors wondering if this might be their moment.

Since 1934, the Apollo has helped shape American music and culture while providing a stage for Black artists, including during periods when opportunities on other stages were limited. Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and countless others became part of its extraordinary history.

Their names are legendary, yet the opportunity the Apollo represented is just as important as the names themselves. It gave artists a place to be seen, heard and celebrated.

“Another Name Deserves the Chance to Appear on That Marquee”

The Apollo’s Historic Theater is undergoing the most comprehensive restoration and modernization in its history. The transformation will improve accessibility and infrastructure while creating greater opportunities for artists, audiences, education and the Harlem community.

The recent relighting of the famous marquee represents more than a renovation. It signals that the Apollo is preparing for its next chapter.

Apollo in THE HAMPTONS 2026
Estelle, photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

Preserving this historic theater should never mean turning it into a museum where we only talk about who performed there decades ago. Another generation needs to perform on that stage. Another young artist needs the opportunity to experience Amateur Night. Another audience needs to discover someone they have never heard of before. Another name deserves the chance to appear on that marquee.

This year’s Apollo in the Hamptons weekend also included the inaugural Young Patrons Day Party, which welcomed more than 250 philanthropists, entrepreneurs, creatives and community leaders. Bringing a younger generation into the conversation matters. Cultural institutions cannot survive on nostalgia alone. Each generation has to understand why these places matter and decide that their stories are worth carrying forward.

Apollo in THE HAMPTONS 2026
Bobby Brown, photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

The August 1 benefit supported artistic programming, arts education, artist development, community engagement and the Historic Theater restoration.

The music brought everyone together. The legacy gave the evening its deeper meaning.

“That History Deserves a Future”

I went to Apollo in the Hamptons expecting great music and a fun summer evening. I certainly got both. I danced, laughed, caught up with friends and had an opportunity to simply enjoy myself.

Apollo in THE HAMPTONS 2026
photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

I also left thinking about the little girl I once was growing up in Harlem and how much of our history is tied to places we sometimes take for granted until they are gone.

When I return to 125th Street, I want the Apollo to still be there. I want children growing up in Harlem today to understand what happened inside that building and why it matters. Most importantly, I want a young artist looking at that marquee to believe their name could be up there one day.

That is why supporting the Apollo matters to me.

It isn’t simply about preserving a building. It is about preserving the music, the people, the opportunities, the memories and the Harlem story that lives inside it while making room for stories that haven’t been written yet.

Apollo in THE HAMPTONS 2026
photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

Apollo in the Hamptons gave us one incredible summer evening. The Apollo in Harlem has given us generations of history, and that history deserves a future.

That is Real Talk. Real People.

As for Apollo in the Hamptons? It was absolutely ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS.

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In Beyond the East End Event

Dr. Chester Pierce: Understanding Microaggressions

In Beyond the East End Event 9 Mins Read

Nearly 60 years after Dr. Chester Pierce gave us the language of microaggressions, we’re still using it because we’re still experiencing them. Maybe understanding the man behind the word can help us better understand one another.

I thought I understood the word microaggressions. Then I watched LIMITLESS: The Dr. Chester Pierce Story and sat down with director and producer Gloria Respress-Churchwell during the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.

LIMITLESS The Dr. Chester Pierce Story photo credit: Butter Pecan Productions

Dr. Chester Pierce was a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and physician, athlete, researcher, educator, mentor and humanitarian. His work took him from Harvard to Antarctica and even Sesame Street. Yet as impressive as his accomplishments are, I found myself thinking less about his résumé and more about the experiences that shaped the man.

What was it like to repeatedly enter spaces where he was the only Black person? How did those experiences influence his understanding of racism and human behavior? Most importantly, what can his work teach all of us today?

That’s where my conversation with Gloria became much bigger than a discussion about a documentary.

It became Real Talk for Real People.

Before He Named Microaggressions, He Lived Them

To understand Dr. Chester Pierce, Gloria told me, you have to understand his parents. His mother believed deeply in community and service, while his father worked at the Nassau Country Club and had limited formal education but tremendous awareness. People sometimes spoke freely around him as though he weren’t there. He listened, absorbed what he heard and brought those lessons home to his sons, helping them understand how to navigate spaces that weren’t always designed to welcome Black men.

All three sons eventually attended Ivy League schools. Chester chose Harvard.

Some of the lessons his parents taught had nothing to do with academics. Gloria shared that Pierce was taught never to pose for a photograph with his arm around a white woman. That may sound unimaginable today. For a young Black man of his generation, it was a lesson about safety. Those experiences matter when we consider the man who would eventually give us language for something many people experienced but couldn’t always explain.

What Exactly Is a Microaggression?

This was the part of my conversation with Gloria that I really wanted to understand.

I told her I’ve always struggled somewhat with the word micro. There can be nothing small about repeatedly experiencing something that makes you feel as though you don’t belong.

Gloria explained that blatant discrimination is usually easier to recognize. A racial slur is obvious. Segregation is obvious. A microaggression can be much more subtle. It might be a comment, assumption or behavior that communicates something about a person’s race or identity without anyone explicitly saying it. Sometimes you leave the interaction wondering:

Did that really happen? Did they mean it that way? Am I reading too much into it?

The person on the other side of the interaction may be thinking something entirely different:

That’s not what I meant at all.

That is where I believe we have an opportunity for conversation.

Understanding microaggressions doesn’t require us to assume that every uncomfortable interaction is racist, nor does it require us to assume that every person who commits a microaggression intended to hurt someone.

It asks us to consider something more nuanced:

Can our intentions be different from the impact of our actions?

Two People Can Experience the Same Room Differently

I shared something with Gloria that I’ve experienced many times. I can walk into a room filled almost entirely with white people and immediately recognize that I’m the only Black person there. A white friend can walk into that same room beside me and never notice. Neither one of us has done anything wrong. We’re simply experiencing the same room through different histories. My awareness comes from having spent a lifetime noticing when I’m the only one. My friend may never have needed to develop that awareness.

Pierce knew that experience well.

One image in LIMITLESS shows him with his Harvard football teammates. He is the only Black man. During his junior year, Harvard traveled to the University of Virginia to play football in the Jim Crow South. Pierce encountered segregation that many of his teammates from the North had never personally experienced. His teammates could enter through the front. Pierce could not. When he was required to use another entrance, Gloria told me his teammates followed him.

I loved learning that.

They couldn’t experience racism exactly as Pierce did, but they could recognize that their friend was being treated differently and choose how they responded. To me, that’s an early example of something we talk about frequently today: allyship. Sometimes allyship isn’t knowing exactly what to say. Sometimes it’s simply deciding not to leave someone standing alone.

When a Small Moment Has a Larger Impact

This conversation became personal for me. My husband and I moved to Sag Harbor year-round to raise our daughters in 2001. We loved the community, but our experience also came with challenges. Our oldest daughter was one of only two Black students in her grade. In high school, she was earning grades in the 90s. When students were being considered for AP English, the teacher who would teach the class told us she couldn’t recommend our daughter because she would be the “weakest link.” I remember being confused.

If her grades demonstrated that she could handle the work, why wasn’t she considered ready?

I can’t tell you what that teacher intended. I don’t know what was in her mind, and I think that’s important to acknowledge.

I can tell you about the impact.

My husband and I worried that our daughter wouldn’t be supported in that classroom, so we decided not to place her in the class.

At the time, we believed we were protecting her. Looking back, I can also recognize that her classmates who took AP courses received academic preparation she didn’t have before entering college.

That’s one way I understand microaggressions today.

The moment itself may appear small to someone on the outside, but sometimes that moment influences a decision, the decision affects an opportunity, and the impact continues long after the original conversation has ended.

“I Didn’t See It”

One of the most difficult parts of talking about microaggressions is that another person may genuinely not see what you see. I’ve heard, “I didn’t see that.” Maybe they didn’t. The problem comes when “I didn’t see it” becomes “therefore it didn’t happen.”

There’s a difference.

Gloria and I kept returning to one word during our conversation: empathy. Empathy doesn’t require us to have identical experiences. It doesn’t even require us to immediately understand everything someone else is feeling.

It asks us to remain curious.

  • What happened?
  • Why did that affect you that way?
  • Is there something about this experience that I’m not seeing?

Those questions create room for conversation instead of immediately putting two people on opposite sides.

Racism, Mental Health and Resilience

Pierce understood that repeated experiences with racism could have psychological consequences, which made me wonder about something much more personal.

What did all of this do to him?

Gloria couldn’t definitively answer that question. Pierce wrote and spoke about racism, mental health and microaggressions, but she hadn’t uncovered much where he explicitly discussed his own emotional wounds. That left us wondering whether a Black psychiatrist of his generation would have felt comfortable publicly acknowledging that vulnerability.

We may never know.

What we do know is that Pierce continued moving forward.

I asked Gloria whether our celebration of Black resilience can sometimes cause us to overlook why that resilience was necessary in the first place.

Her answer offered an interesting perspective. Racism is something another person can do to you. Resilience is something you can control.

Pierce couldn’t control another person’s prejudice, but he could decide whether it would determine the boundaries of his life.

He became a physician and psychiatrist, conducted research in Antarctica, contributed to Sesame Street and mentored generations of people.

Still, resilience doesn’t necessarily mean an experience didn’t hurt.

It means you found a way to keep moving.

Why This Conversation Still Matters

Nearly 60 years after Dr. Chester Pierce gave us the language of microaggressions, we’re still using it because we’re still experiencing them.

That doesn’t mean we haven’t made progress.

Gloria pointed to mental health as one example. Conversations about therapy, anxiety, trauma and emotional wellness are far more open today than when Pierce entered psychiatry, including within Black communities.

There is also greater awareness of how our different backgrounds can shape the way we experience the same schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and social spaces.

Maybe the next step isn’t arguing over whether every interaction qualifies as a microaggression.

Maybe it’s becoming more comfortable asking questions.

Understanding a microaggression doesn’t require a white person to feel guilty for being white, just as sharing an experience with racism doesn’t require a Black person to prove what another person intended.

  • There is room between those two positions.
  • That room is where listening happens.
  • It’s where someone can say, “I didn’t realize you experienced it that way. Tell me more.”
  • It’s where another person can explain without automatically assuming the listener is incapable of understanding.
  • It’s where empathy begins.

That is what stayed with me after watching LIMITLESS: The Dr. Chester Pierce Story and talking with Gloria. Dr. Chester Pierce gave us more than a word. He gave us language that can help us talk about experiences that are sometimes difficult to see, explain or understand. Nearly six decades later, perhaps the goal shouldn’t simply be to decide who is right or wrong. Maybe we should start by trying to understand what the other person sees.

That’s a conversation worth having. Real Talk. Real People.

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In Hamptons Happenings

Why Art & Soul Hamptons Works

In Hamptons Happenings 9 Mins Read
Photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

Why Art & Soul Hamptons draws visitors to Southampton for a full weekend of Black art, culture, community and the Hamptons experience.

The Hamptons summer calendar is packed with galas, openings, dinners, concerts and parties, but Art & Soul Hamptons continues to find a way to stand out. 2025 was incredible, and founder Yaya Reyes continues to give us something different every year. For 2026, she did it again. While most Hamptons events last a few hours, Art & Soul invites you to experience something more. You arrive, but you do not simply mingle, take a few pictures and go home. Art & Soul Hamptons asks you to stay.

Photo: Kurt H. Leggard

That may be one of the reasons Art & Soul Hamptons continues to resonate with people who are willing to travel from across the country for an entire weekend in Southampton. Founder Yaya Reyes created a curated Hamptons experience where art, food, history, music, film, wellness and community unfold over three days. She also intentionally caps the guest list, giving attendees enough space and time to fully experience what has been planned.

We have become accustomed to events being measured by how many people can fit into a room. Art & Soul Hamptons takes a different approach. Limiting attendance changes the experience. You begin recognizing people you met the night before. A quick introduction on Friday may turn into a longer conversation on Saturday. By Sunday, you could find yourself having brunch with someone who was a complete stranger when the weekend started.

Photo: Kurt H. Leggard

The word “curated” is important when describing Art & Soul Hamptons. The festival is not simply curating art. It is curating an experience. This year’s festival moved guests throughout Southampton, including the Southampton Arts Center, Southampton African American Museum, Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation, 75 Main and Southampton Inn. Each stop offered something different while remaining connected to the larger weekend.

Come for the Weekend, Not Just the Party

Friday night could easily stand on its own as a great summer event, but that would miss the point. Come for the weekend, not just the party. The experience is designed to unfold over three days, giving guests a reason to stay in Southampton, explore the community and experience more of what the Hamptons has to offer.

Photo: Kurt. H. Leggard

Opening night at the newly reimagined Southampton Arts Center set the tone for Art & Soul Hamptons. The outdoor grounds created a relaxed atmosphere where guests could move around, experience ARTBOii’s exhibition, enjoy food and drinks, listen to music and actually have conversations.

The culinary tasting was definitely a highlight, featuring Chef Cheryl Grigg, Chef Sakari Smithwick, Chef Leighton Murdock, Chef Doug Gee and the Long Island Shucking Truck. I had a few favorites. The pulled pork and grits were delicious, the tacos from Armona Culinary were another standout, and Chef Doug Gee’s carrot cake was memorable.

The experience continued with a Wine Stylings tasting presented by certified sommelier, wine educator and author Charles Springfield, assisted by Lea Williams of Let’s Talk Wine. New England Sweetwater sponsored the sipping experience. Wellness and beverage activations included a juice bar from The Nourish Spot, a Bloody Mary Mix Bar from K Bloody Mary Mix, non-dairy Thai iced tea from PAIJA Tea Co. and a seamoss bar from Love You More Seamoss.

photo Kurt H. Leggard

Music also helped set the mood. Flutist Dwayne Kerr performed live, while Kurt Leggard photographed the red carpet experience. Guests later gathered for a screening of Crossroads, followed by a film talkback. The evening shifted back to music with Hamptons local favorite Rum Punch Mafia.

photo: Kurt H. Leggard

Even the swag bags became part of the Art & Soul Hamptons experience. There was a lot happening throughout the night, but it never felt like too much. Guests could explore at their own pace, stop for a conversation and decide what they wanted to experience next. That balance is exactly what made opening night work.

Hamptons Gift bags, Photo Kurt H. Leggard

Nothing Was Stopping This Party

Saturday gave Art & Soul Hamptons a completely different challenge. It rained all day, and plans had to change. Anyone who attends or produces summer events in the Hamptons knows that weather can quickly change everything. The rain changed the logistics, but nothing was stopping this party. The pivot actually led to one of my favorite experiences of the weekend.

photo: Kurt H. Leggard

Saturday evening brought Art & Soul Hamptons inside the Southampton African American Museum, where we experienced artist Damien Davis’ exhibition, Hedges and Edges. Davis took us into the history and cultural importance of the Black barbershop, not simply as a place to get a haircut, but as a place where people gathered, exchanged information, talked politics, built relationships and found community. The location made the experience even more powerful because the Southampton African American Museum occupies a building that was once a Black barbershop.

Photo: Kurt H. Leggard

Black Culture Is Already Part of Hamptons History

Before viewing Davis’ work, guests heard Brenda Simmons, co-founder of the Southampton African American Museum, share stories about Black families and businesses that helped shape the East End. She spoke about families who came from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for work and opportunity. They worked on farms and in local industries, opened businesses, raised families and created communities.

Photo: Kurt H. Leggard

Brenda also shared the story of her father, Noah T. Simmons, and the Cottage Inn in East Hampton. Her family history opened another window into the Black social and entertainment scene that existed here decades ago. Hearing those stories before seeing Davis’ work gave the exhibition even more meaning and reinforced something that Art & Soul Hamptons illustrates so well. Black culture is not being brought to the Hamptons as though it has never existed here. Black culture is already part of Hamptons history.

Photo: Kurt H. Leggard

They Are Purchasing an Experience

People traveled from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, Florida, Seattle and other parts of the country for Art & Soul Hamptons this year. They are not simply purchasing admission to an event. They are purchasing an experience. For someone visiting the Hamptons for the first time, Art & Soul offers an entry point that looks different from the version of the Hamptons often seen on television or social media.

  • The Hamptons lifestyle, with beautiful spaces, great food, cocktails, music and summer parties.
  • The Shinnecock Indian Reservation, through a private visit to Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio.
  • The Southampton African American Museum, connecting visitors to Black history on the East End.
  • Black artists and entrepreneurs, whose work and businesses are intentionally centered throughout the weekend.
  • Local history, including stories that many visitors, and even some residents, may not know.
  • Real conversations and connections, made possible by a smaller, intentionally capped guest list.
  • Community, which ultimately ties the entire Art & Soul Hamptons weekend together.

The vendors, sponsors and gift bags were also part of the Art & Soul Hamptons experience. Throughout the weekend, guests were introduced to businesses across food, wine, spirits, beauty, wellness and lifestyle, including New England Sweetwater, The Nourish Spot, PAIJA Tea Co., Love You More Seamoss and K Bloody Mary Mix. The VIP gift bags extended that experience beyond the weekend with products from brands including Miss Jessie’s, Stanley 1913 x NEST, Tea Forté, Cambridge Chemists, Purpose Jewelry, Brownkind, Bespoke Flowers and many others.

What I appreciated was that these partnerships did not feel separate from the event. They were incorporated into the Art & Soul Hamptons experience, giving attendees an opportunity to discover new products and businesses while giving participating brands direct access to an engaged audience. That is another part of the curation that works. You leave with more than a gift bag. You leave having discovered businesses, artists, food and experiences that you may continue supporting long after the weekend is over.

That combination gives Art & Soul Hamptons visitors a fuller picture of Southampton. Guests are also staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, visiting local businesses and spending several days discovering the East End. The cultural experience becomes an economic one as well, something Southampton African American Museum co-founder Brenda Simmons has also highlighted when discussing the festival’s impact on the village.

A Different Kind of Luxury

Art & Soul Hamptons also made me think about what luxury really means. In the Hamptons, luxury is often associated with exclusivity. Maybe luxury is also having enough space to enjoy where you are, meeting an artist and having time to hear the story behind the work, sitting down for brunch with people you met the night before, or spending three days discovering a community instead of racing from one event to another.

The capped guest list is an important part of the experience. There is a difference between being exclusive simply for the sake of exclusivity and intentionally limiting attendance so people can participate. Yaya has created an environment where guests are not simply standing in a crowd watching an experience happen around them. They become part of it.

By Sunday, Something Has Changed

A three-day Art & Soul Hamptons experience creates something a single event cannot. It creates time. Friday is about meeting people. Saturday gives you an opportunity to reconnect. By Sunday, relationships have started to form. The weekend concluded with the Bubble & Bloom Brunch benefiting the Southampton African American Museum, bringing the experience back to culture, history and community.

Five years into Art & Soul Hamptons, Yaya Reyes seems to understand what many people are looking for when they travel. They still want beautiful spaces, great food, music and fun, but they also want experiences that feel worth their time. They want to discover something, meet people, learn something and leave with stories they can take home.

That is why Art & Soul Hamptons works. It gives people a reason to come to the Hamptons for more than a party. It invites them to stay for the weekend, experience Southampton, discover Black history, support artists and businesses, make connections and enjoy themselves along the way.

Art & Soul Hamptons is not simply selling an event. It is curating a Hamptons experience that people want to come back to.

Real Talk. Real People. Real Experiences.

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