We organize activities that increase contact between the church and the Portland-area African American community or anti-racist protests. These activities are intended to increase knowledge of the African American community in Portland and to let this community know that it can depend on Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist church for support and assistance in selected projects.
A member of our church, Mike Miles, was one of three 2010 honorees of the NAACP Portland Branch for civil rights work in the tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Mike has been a civil rights activist for more than 30 years and organized the annual King celebrations at the University of New England.
Recent racist actions in the community brought our protest.
Members of our congregation are on the Advisory Board for the
Portland Freedom Trail. The trail is a series of sites in Portland marked by pedestals which recognize activities and places where abolitionists and underground railroad supporters were active. Our sit ‘n stitch group at church made a quilt of the Northern Star for the first unveiling of a pedestal at Eastern Cemetery at the foot of Munjoy Hill.
Elizabeth Oatley working on the quilt.
Elizabeth and Dawud Ummah (Portland Freedom Trail Advisory Board) at Eastern Cemetery before the ceremony.
The dedication ceremony
Over thirty of our members were docents at the inauguration of the trail. http://www.portlandfreedomtrail.org/
John Henderson greeting people at the Abyssinian Meeting House on the trail.
Polly Wright at a site of a second hand clothing store on Exchange Street with Wells Staley-Mays (Portland Freedom Trail Advisory Board), Anita Talbot (NAACP) and Governor Baldacci.
A number of the docents at the Casco Bay Terminal site of the rescue of escaping slaves.
The
Abyssinian Meeting House, the third oldest African American Meeting House in the country dating back to 1828, is one of the few standing buildings in Portland after numerous devastating fires. Our congregation members enjoyed an extensive tour inside the building as it is being painstakingly restored.
Margy Dowzer and another guest with Leonard Cummings (Chair of the Abyssinian Meeting House Executive Committee).
Marge Berman, Liz Barrington, David Paul (Treasurer of the Abyssinian Meeting House Executive Board), and Leo Barrington.
John Henderson, Leo Barrington, Janet Stover, Liz Barrington
Plans are in the works for us to participate in the next archaeological dig at the Meeting House. http://www.abyme.org/.
Annually in January, the NAACP has a Martin Luther King, Jr., breakfast with important national speakers. Each year we have a number of tables of attendees from our church.
http://www.naacpportland.org/
Contact the
Chair of the African American Interests subcommittee for more information.