About This Event

What is this event?

  • For 40 years, the NAACP in Maine has hosted a community event that honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This has been the largest celebration held in our state in his honor, and remains a powerful moment to center and celebrate of Black leadership, Black folks, and Black liberation.

  • While this observance has traditionally featured a gospel concert, interfaith community dialogue, youth program, and dinner celebration, this year will not disappoint. Though we can no longer come together in a ballroom, we invite you to spend the Holiday with us for a Virtual Teach-In and Call to Action.

  • This Virtual Teach-In and Call to Action will offer a full day of programs for you to choose from. We hope you will question, learn, share, discuss, and take action!

Statement from the Maine State Prison Branch of the NAACP:

FREEDOM AND EQUALITY HAVE NO BORDERS!

We are pleased to be able to join you in the celebrating the NAACP’s 40th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance!

On the 28th of January 2020,our country was infiltrated by a silent enemy. One of the most dangerous and deadliest enemy we have ever battled-the Coronavirus. The 45th President of the United States told the Nation that this silent enemy was not dangerous nor deadly, and it would disappear by the summer. Before the 4th of July, this silent enemy had killed 128,000 plus Americans and amassed more than 2.7 million COVID-19 cases in our country.

In the mist of this deadly pandemic, a new generation of American "Freedom Fighters" emerged to fight an enemy we all know intimately-systematic racism.

Collectively, tens of millions of people from around the world left the sanctuary of their homes and took to the streets to march and protest the unjust killings of unarmed Black men and women by white police officers, despite the fact, an invisible enemy was (and still is) lurking in the air to snatch their life away.

Tens of millions of strangers worldwide gathered to put their lives in danger to shout NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE for Black life. It was the most phenomenal and majestic moment that we will have witnessed in our life time.

Seeing tens of millions of young Black folks and White folks march side-by-side, united to fight systematic racism, discrimination, injustice and inequality was like watching the Marching Band on Thanksgiving Day.

Hearing the sounds of NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE vibrating through the TV felt like being at a Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross duet concert.

Dr. King once said "We must see now that the evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are tied together...you can't really get rid of one without getting rid of the others...the whole structure of American life must be changed. America is a hypocritical nation and [we] must put [our] own house in order."

This new generation of American "Freedom Fighters" brought their discontentment and condemnation of America's injustice, unequal treatment, and disenfranchisement of Black folk to the ballot box on November 3, 2020 to denounce systematic racism, white supremacy, white nationalism and to remove a demagogue and fascist President named Donald J. Trump.

In this new year, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday has taken on a deeper meaning for many. Why? Because the challenges Dr. King helped tackle not only exist today but have heighten the current day social media to be more prevalent. Our society has advanced in many ways (technologically, financially, scientifically to name a few), however, in the most basic and primitive concepts of humanity, equal treatment and justice, our society has unequivocally failed drastically; as evidenced by false claims of voter fraud and the insurrection on our nation's Capitol.

Dr. King said, "Justice too long delayed, is justice denied."

Dr. King's persuasive techniques are continually used today to call for unity as a state, as a country to become ONE!! Enough is enough! Dr. King's speech, "I have a Dream" discusses the gap between the American dream and reality, saying that overt white supremacist have violated the dream and that "our federal government has also scarred the dream through its apathy and hypocrisy, its betrayal of the cause of justice."

Dr. King's dream is becoming a reality for all. The 44th President of the United States of America, the great Baraka Obama is proof.

As of Wednesday, January 20, 2021, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be proof. Justice will be served and our state, our country will become ONE.

Dr. King's letter from the Birmingham jail is a clear illustration of our struggle and fight. He wrote "perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the sting dart of segregation to say "wait". "Perhaps it is easy for those" who are not being gunned down and choked to death by white police officers who took a sworn oath and accepted a duty to protect ALL American citizens to say police reform, criminal justice reform, and prison reform can "wait".

To those people we say the "wait" is over, the time is now.

"No life can matter until Black Lives Matter."

In solidarity,

Maine State Prison Branch of the NAACP

Who is the Event Committee?

A Event Committee comprised of individuals representing numerous organizations from around the state has helped to bring this year's event to fruition:

  • Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, Maine State House of Representatives, Maine State Prison Branch NAACP

  • Regina Phillips, Cross Cultural Community Services

  • Abdul Ali, Maine Youth Justice

  • Pious Ali, Portland Empowered

  • Jeannette Andre, Maine Philanthropy Center

  • Mariana Angelo, Black P.O.W.E.R.

  • Andrea Berry, Maine Initiatives

  • Marpheen Chan, Holocaust and Human Rights Center

  • Jon Courtney, Portland Events Programmer

  • James Cradock, Maine NAACP

  • Joseph Jackson, Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition

  • qainat khan, ACLU of Maine

  • Kathy Kilrain del Rio, Maine Equal Justice

  • Laura Ligouri, MindBridge

  • Christiana Marvrey, Black P.O.W.E.R.

  • Marcia Minter, Indigo Arts Alliance

  • Adilah Muhammad, The Third Place

  • James Myall, Maine Center for Economic Policy

What do you need to participate?

  • Registration to participate in this event is FREE. You can register HERE.

  • To participate live day-of, you will need access to a computer, tablet, or phone (with Zoom app downloaded) and internet access. Sessions will be recorded as well for later viewing, and some will be streamed to Facebook LIVE.

  • If you have questions about your ability to participate in this event, please reach out to Andrea Berry (andrea@maineinitiatives.org)

Still have questions?

Email Andrea Berry, Event Committee Member, at andrea@maineinitiatives.org