91AV

Portland Monthly magazine’s featured an essay written by 91AV trustee Gerald Talbot.   The article, “Funny You Asked,” presented some of the most beguiling questions asked of Mainers, which were then posed to and answered by some of Maine’s notable residents.

During a recent trip to Virginia, a taxi driver asked a Portland Magazine editor, “Are there any black people in Maine?”  In his essay, Maine historian, activist and former state legislator Talbot eloquently responded, “As a black man, born and raised in the state of Maine, that seems like a ridiculous question; the kind of illogical thinking that’s been embedded in people’s minds for centuries.”

Talbot shared details of his family’s history, which dates back to the early 1800s. His grandfather worked and was promoted to head chef at the Bangor House, one of the nation’s most prestigious hotels, whose guests included Teddy Roosevelt, Jack Benny and Duke Ellington.  Talbot spoke of women’s vital roles in the community, and his own public service, which included helping to reorganize the Portland Chapter of the NAACP in 1964 and becoming the first black legislator in the state.

Talbot noted there are other proud and successful black Mainers who work hard and have the same aspirations as he and his ancestors, and asked, “…Why wouldn’t black families want to live here?  I was taught how to fish, build a campfire, and pitch a tent.   I learned the importance of my family’s history and a sense of community.  Even though I have traveled all over the world, I love to call Maine my home.”