On Thursday, Jan. 17 at 9:30 a.m. as part of the Island’s celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., St. Andrews Episcopal church on North Summer street in Edgartown will become the twentieth site on the African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard.

The church was the site of the first meetings in 1964 of the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the NAACP. A bronze plaque will be unveiled honoring those citizens of all ethnic groups and from all walks of life who organized to participate in the building of a colorblind society.

The founders were united in horror by the assassination of President Kennedy and the violent and unconstitutional treatment of African Americans in the South. Placing personal safety at risk, they traveled to the South to register voters, endured mistreatment and made personal sacrifices to make the American Dream of equality a reality in their own community.

They included the Rev. Henry Bird, now living in New Mexico; Nancy Whiting, George Jacobs, Virginia Mazer, Audria Tankard, Kivi Kaplan, and Toby and Lucille Dorsey, all of whom have died; and Nancy Smith, Audrey LeVasseur, Chris Murphy, Woolcott Smith, Polly Murphy and Peg Lilienthal.

Those who participated in those events as teenagers — Dianne Powers, Tony Alleyne and Robert Tankard — also will attend the ceremony. Representatives from all of the families will be present at the dedication as will high school students and Alicia Knight’s third grade class at Edgartown school.

Toby Riseborough, grandson of Toby and Lucille Dorsey, will lead the group in singing We Shall Overcome. Kate Taylor and a group of Minnesingers from the high school also will sing.