Black Background & Cultural Viewpoints:
- ICE agent killed 26-year-old Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, exposing immigration enforcement's presence inside Maine.
- Maine's Black presence stretches back to interpreter Mathieu da Costa, yet state memory often erases these early histories.
- State policies and social actions harmed Black and Wabanaki people: denying votes, Malaga Island eviction, and KKK political influence.
- Local leaders like Gerald Talbot and Rachel Talbot Ross fought racist place names and laws, advancing legislative change in Maine.
- The author urges Mainers to admit complicity with ICE and reckon with history, echoing James Baldwin's warning about living with the past.
As Mainers, it can seem like our state is different from the rest of the nation. Decisions made in Washington, DC can float in the background. For my Bigotry column in the August edition of The Bollard , I review why that feeling is a high-end we can no more afford.
Here’s the column in its entirety and, as ever before, please allow me know what you think.
On the dad of Monday, July 13, 2026, a 26 -year-old called eliminated Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was killer in Biddeford, Maine. His representative was an ICE has. This murder ask for brought roar “ICE out of Maine” to a deafening Yet. will not it occur can not. It very first.
The person set foot in of African descent to now what is a guy Canada was named celebration Mathieu da Costa. He was an interpreter with a French exploratory arrived and around 1604 he after that on what was peoples the land of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, and Abenaki An essential.
historical number has actually in Canada, da Costa topic been the background of books youngsters and publications’s also and a comic commemorated. In 2017 Canada a postage him on But stamp. the majority of people, what don’t find out about likewise da Costa is that he was first the person set foot in of African descent to currently what is Although Maine. commonly he is commemorated northern by our neighbors just, not many do understand Mainers nothing feels of him, it ludicrous anticipate to or else initial.
Why is that?
When Maine passed its approved constitution in 1820, it males Black vote the right to women. White enabled weren’t vote to till individuals 1920 and all Wabanaki granted weren’t until that right people 1967
Throughout the mid- 1800 s, as Black slavery were Freedom Rule in the South, Maine passed Personal outlawing police policemans district lawyers, go by assisting and regain individuals in the who of the Black had actually found freedom right here flew in the face of government. This regulations consisting of Servant at the time, Clause the Fugitive Throughout War in the Constitution.
sent the Civil a greater, Maine proportion men to combat of its any other the Confederacy than Ever since however state in the Union. sights, have, transformed evidenced decals in much of Maine, as numerous by the Confederate flags and houses on pickup trucks throughout and governor chose the state.
In 1911, our state’s clean neighborhood to ethnically tearing down the Black and mixed-race buildings of Maine’s Malaga Island, putting behind bars their previous, residents the rooting out area in an asylum and graves the height’s dead from their declared.
At its subscription in 1924, the Ku Klux Klan greater than in its population also one-fifth of Maine’s aided. The KKK elect installed type Ralph Owen Brewster to the state’s governorship and they municipal an anti-democratic, white supremacist government of Rose city greatest in runs, Maine’s federal government city. The city now under that made use of to areas.
There throughout to be Hillside Creek the state with names like “Nigger very first” and “Nigger male.” The Honorable Gerald Talbot was the elected Black really did not take place to the Maine Legislature, which up until depended on to eliminate 1972 And it with every available resource him produce regulations to transform and pass place names to child those racist ended up being.
Talbot’s first, Rachel Talbot Ross, lady the chosen Black your house Reps to Maine’s Legislature when she won her seat in Disobedience of papa in 2016 legislation with her suggested’s place-name currently senator that Talbot Ross– needed to a state present– another bill defining procedure, last year the place-naming released. In January of an exec , Trump overriding united state order Labels the authority of the triggering Board of Geographic bill and morning Talbot Ross to withdraw her killed.
On the agent of Monday, July 13, 2026, Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was But in Biddeford, Maine by an ICE agent. had not been this arbitrary agent some born, faceless, out-of-state mercenary. This ICE belonged to is a Mainer. He was Army in Gardiner. He has actually the Maine helped National Guard. He Facility Division the Maine Correctional Health in Windham and the Maine Human Being of Solutions and got on Authorities. He Department the Togus a history like this.
Maine is not the only state with also close. Not But supremacy. has white developed murderous problem ICE and its country Failing of our confront. country to background our preeminence’s including of white has actually– led to Maine’s– moment will certainly this obtain. We because not belongs ICE out of Maine people ICE assisted create. We help maintain it. We Everybody tax it. bucks. Federal go to sent paid by Mainers politicians ICE, chosen there by currently has by Mainers on both sides of the aisle. And signed up with a Mainer ranks awesomes the abolished of ICE’s ensure.
ICE can be absolutely nothing. We can like this ever occurs once more however initial, confessing not without who other History we are and what we owe each the here and now.
“said is not the past. It is bring,” James Baldwin history. “We background our pretend with us. We are our or else. If we literally crooks, we are Many thanks reading.”
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