August 14, 2025
Black women gathered on Martha’s Vineyard at the historic Inkwell Beach to rest, reset, and ‘Polar Bear’ plunge into ice-cold waters.
For its 10th anniversary, Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community hosted “Healing the Healers” on Martha’s Vineyard.
Founded in 2015, the organization works to uplift Black communities via advocacy, policy influence, and community healing. Its advocacy centers on Black girls and women and, specifically, the violence inflicted on those marginalized sectors.
“Healing the Healers” was a wellness activation that culminates in a gathering at Inkwell Beach. Partnering with the iconic Polar Bears of Martha’s Vineyard, Ujima offered a sacred moment of rest, connection, and resilience in a 78-year-old tradition.
Since 1948, Black swimmers and beach goers have gathered at 7:30 a.m. to plunge into the Atlantic on Inkwell Beach, the first desegregated beach on Martha’s Vineyard.
Ujima gathered more than 70 individuals, ranging in age from 15 to 86, by the ocean, where they plunged into the cold Atlantic waters at 7:30 a.m. on the first Saturday in August. The activation acted as both a pause and a power reset for those who take on the majority of care for their communities.
Caroline Hunter, longtime Polar Bears leader, described the experience to Essence.
“Everything we do is about community, about positivity, and joy,” she said. “The songs we sing and the exercises we lead are all rooted in the tradition of ‘call and response,’ because as Black people, there is power in the oral tradition, and what we’ve witnessed since childhood is that we generate joy through our collective voice.”
According to the report, participants mimicked lifting motions while singing “We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder,” intertwining meditative practices with physical movement.
CEO, Karma Cottman, spoke about the importance of creating our own spaces in turbulent times.
“Black leaders, Black led programs are under siege. Being in a space of healing… feels like a luxury that we can’t afford…But in order for us to face it…we have to be okay, we have to be healthy, we have to be whole,” Cottman told Essence.
Established on principles of collective responsibility, Ujima’s programming extends beyond symbolic events. The organization also hosts annual receptions celebrating impact. On Aug. 1, it honored Hunter and the Polar Bears at its “Toast to 10 Years” event. The ceremony recognized its decades of leadership, community building, and healing.
Founded in 1946, the Polar Bears began as a spiritual and health-centered ritual at Inkwell Beach, the only beach historically accessible to Black Islanders during segregation. Today, it continues as a symbol of reclamation, belonging, and collective healing.
As federal support for Black-led organizations faces increasing threats, Ujima stands firm. Through deeply rooted, restorative experiences, it reminds Black women that rest is a form of resistance, and healing is still possible even in the coldest water.
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