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e Black History Trail on Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, a New England Island, features a collection of sites honoring the island's rich African American history and culture. The Heritage Trail History Project, founded in 1989, features 39 locations of homes, churches, businesses, and other historical landmarks. The Trail began documenting the presence of slavery on the island after finding a copy of a bill-of-sale which confirmed the transaction of a 10-year-old "Negro boy" named Peter. The Trail also highlights contributions made by the Wampanoag people, who were the Island's original inhabitants. Their history is intertwined with the early European settlers, and they played a crucial role in protecting escaped slaves during the era of the Fugitive Slave Act. Joe Overton was a political leader who cared deeply for the Black race. He was New York's first African American union organizer and president of the NAACP New York Chapter. He purchased a Victorian mansion on the island to be used as an inn for the Black elite to vacation and rest. There is a guestbook documenting many civil rights leader's signatures. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Adam Clayton Powell, Malcolm X, and even Fidel Castro were notable guests at his home. One of the most iconic sites on the Vineyard is Inkwell Beach, a beloved gathering place for the Black community since the late 1800s. The Inkwell was the Jim Crow term for "Colored Beach." Today, it remains a popular hub, drawing visitors and locals alike to its shores. The Heritage Trail Project uncovered stories never told before. The Whaling industry was a major economic engine for America from the 1700s to the 1920s. William A. Martin was the only Black Whaling Captain from Martha's Vineyard. Despite becoming a respected member of a sea faring community, Captain Martin was required to live in a modest home on the Vineyard's Native American plantation instead of the mansions among the other White Whaling Captains on the island. There is no club meeting in September. Mark your calendars for our free event, Jazz Under the Stars, on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 6:30 pm. The next AACC club meeting will be on Monday, Oct. 7 in The Lodge Game Room. For more information, contact Jocelyn Doucette at cjs1speed@ gmail.com. ~ Regina omas 46 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2024 African American Cultural Club e Overton House is on the Heritage Trail and sits across the street from Inkwell Beach.