Hate on steroids and a moment of love for Deqa: Maine happenings

A few days ago, I was scrolling on Facebook and came across a horrific and racist caricature of a wonderful public servant, Deqa Dhalac. The caricature was being circulated by Maine gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles, who decided to dig up an old video of now-state Rep. Dhalac when she became the first Somali-American mayor in …

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From “Support Black women” to crickets

silhouette of black woman's head, screaming out in anguish

For the better part of a decade, it was common to see hashtags and think-pieces admonishing people to support Black women and to trust Black women, but in the last few years, as the post George Floyd fatigue started to settle in, we started seeing less and less of that. Until, that is, the months …

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The importance of rest and knowing your “why”

A rocky island beach shore on an island in Maine's Casco Bay

I have been spending the past few days somewhat unplugged and with my son and his family, who are visiting from Tennessee. Normally, when I plan to take downtime away from Black Girl in Maine work, I like to let folks know—not because I am filled with an inflated sense of self-importance but because the …

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