Black Girl in Maine | Anti Racism stories and Perspectives on Race
Since 2008, Black Girl in Maine has been a place for articles and stories on societal, cultural, educational, and even inspirational topics. From humble beginnings as a venue for a transplanted “Chicago girl” and Black woman to document and share her tales of life in one of the whitest states to a growing media site featuring anti-racism education and additional voices with their own perspectives on race, current events, and more. Explore, absorb, and—like founder Shay herself—learn how to make a difference in the world.
Latest Stories:
Recent Stories:
A few years back, when Biden was still a part of “the most diverse group of candidates” to ever run for the democratic presidential nomination, I wrote a piece about him right here on BGIM Media. It was a bit of a warning, I guess. The piece was a lot of facts and links to …
By Liz Henry My daughter had been planning what she wanted to wear to the polls for a few days: a black “I heart hot moms” T-shirt, fuchsia peace symbol earrings the size of toaster waffles, and wide-leg pants with a purple-ish sheen. Whatever gets her excited, I thought. It’s unclear just how many younger …
Thanks to the good folks of Generation Z, marginalized folks, and Black and brown folks, we staved off the worst predictions of a red wave and kept democracy from completely flatlining for another two years. However, the House of Representative did fall to GOP control, which is a huge blow to progress. And with the …
My co-producer Florence Edwards and I have spent the last 18 months or so working on a podcast. It’s called 99 Years and it’s a Black exploration of the deliberate creation of the whitest state in the nation: Maine. It debuted a few weeks ago and there are three episodes out so far, so please …
Current Events Stories:
When it’s not white people’s time to talk
One of the most important lessons I’m learning when it comes to undoing racism in myself—and in my racial justice work in the larger world—is that there is not simply one set of rules I can start following. As much as we white people—those of us committed to antiracism, at least—want to learn and do …
White discomfort causes harm
I am not certain when I discovered that life was not always going to be a comfortable experience for me. But if I had to guess, I suspect it was when I started kindergarten and was seated in the back of the classroom, as one of the only Black kids in the classroom. While I …
Not good-bye but a new direction: The future of BGIM
If you live long enough, you realize that nothing lasts forever, from relationships to careers to these containers we call bodies and so much else. Everything and everyone will eventually bite the dust or, at the very least, make major changes at some point to ensure their survival until their eventual demise. As uncomfortable as …
People of color being poisonous to other POC—the L.A. City Council and anti-Black bias
“Not all skinfolk are kinfolk” is a reasonably common refrain in Black circles when Black people perpetuate harmful stereotypes or ally themselves with clearly anti-Black—and, frankly, anti-progress in general—forces in politics and elsewhere in society. But it’s applicable to not just Black people but other people of color, who too often eagerly put their own …
My bad penny moment with weight and the Black relatives card
Despite living in this body as a Black woman for 49 years, writing about racism since the early 2000s, and serving as the executive director of the oldest continuously running anti-racism organization in the United States, I have a confession: The moments that I find myself in a racist exchange are pretty much my “bad …
This is Black people country; yes, the whole thing
I live with a secret. It’s a powerful secret. It’s an open secret, so the power isn’t in keeping it, but in telling it. I’ll let you in on it even though you probably already know: As a Black person, I own this country. At first glance I understand it may not look that way. …
Let’s normalize not stealing winners’ thunder—especially Black women
It should have been her moment to shine at the Emmy Award show on Sept. 12. “Abbott Elementary” star Quinton Brunson received her first Emmy that night for outstanding writing in a comedy series. And a white man promptly stepped in to step on her moment and steal her thunder. In fact, she was the …
The Queen died—screw decorum and niceness
Look, me and the Royal Family go way back. Sorta. Let’s just say that they’ve occupied space in my mind for a long time. My earliest memories of the Royals? Watching Princess Diana and Prince Charles getting married. I was a little kid—maybe 9 or 10—and, like millions of others, I was mesmerized by the …
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Are we really supporting Black women or is it lip service?
It has been a little over a month since I announced that after 14 years, Black Girl in Maine Media would be taking a new direction, and I can definitely say that since writing that post, I have been in a mental slump. A slump so deep that I have been deeply appreciative of the …
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