MAKING WAVES

A historically Black swim club in Massachusetts helped a mother and daughter rediscover their connection to the water —and to a community that has buoyed its diverse membership for decades.

- LESLIE GARRETT

When Lisette Williams was a teenager, the last thing she wanted to do on summer mornings was join her mother, Caroline Hunter, for a swim in the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean. But a few years later, when Lisette finally tagged along, she realized she had been missing much more than an invigorating dip. Caroline is a longtime member of the Polar Bears of Martha's Vineyard, a historically Black swim and social club that has been gathering on Inkwell Beach, on the northeast tip of the island, for more than half a century.

1980

THEN In 1980, GH paid homage to famous mothers and daughters such as advice columnist Erma Bombeck and daughter Betsy and Rosalynn Carter and daughter Amy.

NOW We're committed to highlighting stories from ordinary people in order to share a broad array of experiences and perspectives.