maine insights report by maine initiatives

Maine InsightsCOMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ABOUTJUSTICE AND EQUITY IN MAINE

2 MAINE INSIGHTS

As Executive Director of Maine Initiatives, I am fortunate to be able to

spend time meeting with community organizers, activists, and donors—

people actively engaged in making our communities more just and

equitable. So often I find myself in a conversation about values: what

motivates someone to support progressive action in Maine;

what drives them–and us–to dedicate so much personal and professional energy to

social change?

These conversations are generative: connection, capacity, and power are all created

when you hear someone else articulate a deeply held conviction of your own. This Maine

Insights report is a testament to that phenomenon, and we are pleased to share it with you.

Maine Insights brought together Mainers in twelve meetings throughout the state. This

report—what we heard and what we learned through this process—is a clarion call for

collective action around a shared vision for Maine that reflects greater justice, equity,

opportunity, and community.

This is the essential work of Maine Initiatives. We bring people together around shared

values; we identify, mobilize, and leverage the resources and assets of our community

in support of those values; and we build capacity for independent and collective action

advancing greater justice and equity in Maine.

In this spirit, I want to express my deep gratitude to all of the Mainers who shared their

homes, offices, and community spaces with us so that we could convene these

conversations. And to our Insights participants—thank you for your generosity with your

time, talent, expertise, wisdom, vision, and values. You, as members of the Maine Initiatives

community, embody our capacity for advancing social, economic and environmental

justice in Maine.

Thank you,

Phil Walsh

INTRODUCTIONTHE PROCESSMAINE INSIGHTS

568

Welcome to Maine Initiatives.

MAINE INSIGHTS 3

FINDINGSECONOMIC JUSTICERACIAL JUSTICECLIMATE CHANGE

LOOKING FORWARDTRANSFORMATIVECOMMUNITY PHILANTHROPYIN MAINERACIAL JUSTICEAND EQUITY

25

16

22

26

101214

CROSS-CUTTINGISSUESSHIFTS IN THE MODEL

4 MAINE INSIGHTS

When working toward justice there is a temptation to think that there are two teams—us, and them. However, justice is something that is for all of us.

We’re in this together.–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

MAINE INSIGHTS 5

“Every step forward is a step in the right direction. We’ve been resistant to change, and of not doing things perfectly. Choosing to act in spite of our fears allows us to do the right thing now.”

We are pleased to share this report on Maine Insights, a project undertaken byMaine Initiatives beginning in June of 2015.

As a progressive community-based foundation, we convened Mainers across the state for

conversations about our shared vision of social, economic, and environmental justice. We

invited our community members to engage in a dialogue around the issues they hold most

dear. Through twelve conversations across the state we guided over 175 participants through facilitated discussions and documented what we heard.

We met community leaders, activists, advocates, nonprofit executives, organizers, students,

entrepreneurs, retirees, small business owners, elected officials, and citizens from all walks

of life. We were inspired by the range, depth, and clarity of vision and voice we heard in each

conversation, and by the passion for Maine we heard articulated in living rooms, conference

rooms, and church halls.

This report outlines the major themes that emerged from the Maine Insights process. You’ll

hear what participants had to say, in their own words, and the themes that emerged as

consensus priorities as we traveled across the state.

We present this report not as the conclusion or culmination of a process, but as a beginning.

This process—and the report you hold in your hands—will inform our work together

going forward as we contemplate our grantmaking, our work convening and engaging

the community, and our broader role of fostering informed, intentional, and collective

progressive philanthropy in Maine.

–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

Introduction

6 MAINE INSIGHTS

THE PROCESS

We started each Maine Insights conversation by asking participants to share one word that

describes who they are in the community. The words we heard were thought provoking.

Organizer. Activist. Listener. Learner. Even Curmudgeon.

We jumped into the conversation by asking people to reflect on this quote from abolitionist

Theodore Parker, brought to our contemporary discourse by Dr. Reverend Martin Luther

King, Jr., and, more recently, President Barack Obama, and to ask where are we on this arc

today in Maine?

What is one insight

you have about

social, economic,

and environmental

justice in

Maine today?

As you look around,

in your community

or across Maine,

what are the most

pressing justice and

equity opportunities

or issues you

perceive?

“Who are you in the community?”

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

It is a powerful, compelling experience to hear a deeply held belief or value of yours articulated by someone else, and in particular

by someone you don’t know. When that statement comes from a neighbor or a community member they can be even more inspiring.

With that frame, let’s walk through the Maine Insights process.

FIRST: Connect

NEXT: Engage

Reflect Analyze

THEN:

MAINE INSIGHTS 7

What is one thing

we must do to

advance justice

and equity in

Maine in the next

12 to 24 months?

Aspire

“I love the idea of a progressive philanthropic organization hosting intimate, relevant, and stimulating community conversations around the state. We need more of these conversations to occur.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

8 MAINE INSIGHTS

MAINE INSIGHTS


“There is a lot of divide-and-conquer rhetoric in Maine. It needs to be transformed to WAITT dialogue: We’re All In This Together.”

Rooted in the notion that we, individually

and collectively, are the agents of the

change we seek in our communities, the

Maine Insights process engaged and

connected people around the state through

facilitated conversations about our shared

vision for advancing social, economic, and

environmental justice in Maine.

It was part listening tour. It is central to

our success that we understand and

address the concerns of our stakeholders.

Through Maine Insights, we set out to

identify the justice and equity themes,

opportunities, and challenges that are

most resonant across our state.

It was also a community conversation. Maine Insights brought people together

around shared values, fostering new

connections and relationships that increase

our individual and collective capacity to

advance justice and equity in Maine.

Throughout this process we listened to a

diverse range of voices. We heard from

children as young as nine who are worried

about pollution and access to clean water.

We listened as retirees told us about

intergenerational poverty. We heard moving

testimonies from recent immigrants sharing

their dreams and aspirations for their lives

as Mainers. As we traveled across the state

we found that, although each conversation

was unique in its articulation of distinct

ideas and concerns, we were able to

identify overarching themes and messages

that clearly resonate across differences in

age, social class, race, gender, and other

seeming divides.

Across all conversations we heard a

desire and demand for collective action

around our shared values and concerns.

Despite our reputation as a state of rugged

individualists, we heard a consistent call

for unity, inclusiveness, opportunity,

and progress. Participants expressed

profound concern that our state is

becoming increasingly fragmented across

many fault lines: geography, class, politics,

identity, demographics, etc.

As participants shared concerns about

systemic inequality in every sector:

healthcare, education, criminal justice,

housing, and employment, and broader

concerns about entrenched racism, sexism,

and homophobia, they also affirmed

that ours is a community of practical,

compassionate, and altruistic individuals

eager for connections to others that can

advance social change.

While the problems are complex, the

solutions proposed by our participants are

ultimately simple: we must come together

to act on our shared values.

MAINE INSIGHTS 9

Social, economic, and environmental justice are connected: we can’t have one without the other two.


Three issues, in particular, emerged as defining themes:

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY RACIAL JUSTICE CLIMATE CHANGE

“Maine seems to be following the rest of the nation into deeper division along socio-economic lines.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

“Maine’s reputation as the most racially homogenous state makes some people think racism needn’tbe addressed here. As we know, the state is changing and racism mustbe addressed in Maine.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

“Our shared vulnerability in the face of climate change may bring out our worst selves in the name of self-protection, without strong, capable, wise leadership and highly-skilled community organizers and spaces to build connections.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

10 MAINE INSIGHTS

The increasing gap betweenthe wealthy and the poormakes progress toward

justice increasingly elusive,but not impossible.

Across the state, economic justice emerged

as a predominant theme in every Maine

Insights conversation. Economic disparities,

economic dislocation, and uneven access

to economic opportunity were the most

common issues and concerns.

Participants highlighted economic justice

challenges that they viewed as particularly

pertinent to Maine’s communities:

intergenerational and rural poverty,

food insecurity, the isolation of elders,

persistent income disparities for women,

and the unique economic opportunities

and challenges facing recent immigrants.

They advocated for fair wages and paid

family leave, expressing concerns about

unemployment, the cost of healthcare

and education, gentrification, and the

need for more affordable housing.

Participants recognized that in the face of

rising economic inequality, it is becoming

ever more difficult to effectively address

these issues—a reality that is both financial

and relational. Concern was raised that

Maine’s public agencies and programs

dedicated to supporting the poor have been

hindered by policy and politics, driving

those who are struggling economically to

increasingly look to the nonprofit sector

for support. At the same time, participants

worried about an increased demonization

of the poor and a fraying of the social and

political fabric that permits us to support

our neighbors in need.

14.8%of Mainers live in povertyincluding 1 in every 5 children.1

One of every two black and African American Mainers and one-third of Maine’s Native Americans live in poverty. The poverty rate for these groups topped 50% in 2013, the highest in the nation. The national average rate is 27.6%.2

50%


ECONOMIC JUSTICE

MAINE INSIGHTS 11

We heard deep concern about economic

justice in Maine and a clear commitment

to making our communities more just and

equitable. In the face of grim statistics about

the challenges of poverty and economic

uncertainty, we also heard from participants

stories of hope and inspiration:

Poverty Action Coalition: Citizens of

Waterville are confronting poverty with an

abundance mentality: coming together

through the Community Investors initiative

to identify and meet critical financial needs

of neighbors experiencing financial hardship

through an inspiring combination of

individual and collective action.

Food AND Medicine: In a victory for

individuals and families in poverty, Food AND

Medicine has created a fund that permits

SNAP recipients in Bangor and Brewer to

receive a 50% discount at local farmers

markets, dramatically increasing access

to healthy food while supporting the local

agriculture movement.

In addition, we heard strong support for

organizations that are organizing and

advocating for economic justice and equity

for all Mainers.

In these examples, communities have come

together to identify and mobilize their

existing resources to create collaborative

solutions. In so doing they demonstrate

that we have the collective capacity to work

together, end poverty and hunger, and build

bridges to economic opportunity. Maine

Initiatives remains committed to supporting

projects like these.

“Economic inequality means taxes increasingly vilified, our safety net shrunk, increasingly concentrated wealth and income, increasing barriers to education, and debt rather than equitable pay.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

1 US Census Data, 2016. 2 Maine Center for Economic Policy, “Census Bureau Data: Poverty Among Blacks and African Americans in Maine is the Highest in the Nation,” 2014.

EXEMPLARY ORGANIZATIONS SERVING ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN MAINE

Maine Center for Economic Policy | www.mecep.org

Maine Equal Justice Partners | www.mejp.org

Maine People’s Alliance | www.mainepeoplesalliance.org

Southern Maine Workers’ Center | www.maineworkers.org

Opportunity

12 MAINE INSIGHTS

Our communities are only as just and

equitable as we demand that they be, as

we make them. And in every one of our

conversations, Maine Insights participants

expressed concern that our communities

fall short of our shared vision of racial

justice and racial equity.

We heard about persistent and pernicious

racism: implicit, explicit, institutional,

structural, and systemic. We learned

about disparities in access to healthcare,

education, and justice, and unequal

opportunities for communities of color.

Some participants raised questions of

racial justice in the context of the changing

face of Maine and recent criticism from

some quarters about the New Mainer

communities: immigrants, refugees, and

asylees. Others highlighted the daily

experience of African American

communities with generational legacies

in Maine who are still perceived and

treated as outsiders. Still others placed

the conversation about racial justice firmly

in the context of the long arc of history

in acknowledging the primacy of the tribal

communities in any conversation about

race, justice, and equity in Maine.

Participants also expressed concern

that Maine, as the state with the largest

majority white population in the nation,

is under-prepared to confront and

address these issues.

3 Maine People’s Resource Center, “Maine Racial Justice Policy Guide,” 2011. 4 Maine ACLU, “Maine Police Departments Show Staggering Race Gaps In Arrests,” 2014.

RACIAL JUSTICE

Maine’s communities of colorgrew by 80% between 2000 and 2010, and every single county in the state saw double-digit growth in populations of color. Cumberland, Androscoggin,and Oxford Counties increasedby 99% or more.3

Several Maine cities have alarming arrest rate disparities for peopleof color: in South Portland, black and African Americans are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested than whites; in Bangor, 3.2 times; in Lewiston, 2.8 times; and in Portland, 2.6 times.4

80%

Maine’s presentand future is blocked by our inability to talk and discuss race and racism

truthfully and openly.–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

MAINE INSIGHTS 13

“Maine as a collective used to be more compassionate to poor people, until the face of poverty changed.”

The call to confront racism, xenophobia,

and discrimination in Maine is clear,

but the path ahead is less well lighted.

It is clear that many individuals and

organizations in our communities recognize

the urgency of addressing racial inequity

as a root cause of injustice, though the

complexity of these questions and the

conversations required to address them

represent a challenge. The organizational

and financial infrastructure for addressing

issues of racial inequity are less robust than

those available for other justice and equity

priorities. We heard this from individuals,

nonprofit leaders, and even funders, unsure

as to how to support progress and change

on these issues.

At the same time, as we see an emerging

consciousness of the importance of

engaging on questions of racial justice

nationally, we see more energy emerging in

Maine around these issues. Organizations

and individuals working in Maine to build

cross-class and cross-cultural coalitions

for advancing racial justice indicate a shift.

Another powerful trend is the rapid growth

of organizations and funders working

together on immigrant, refugee, and asylee

rights. At the community level, we observe

an inspiring breadth of creativity—through

performing and visual arts groups, youth-

led organizations and initiatives, legal

assistance programs—as Mainers embrace

nontraditional approaches to address

racial inequity.

The consensus among our participants

was that we must act to ensure that our

communities reflect the values of diversity,

inclusion, equity, and opportunity for all.


EXEMPLARY ORGANIZATIONS SERVING RACIAL JUSTICE IN MAINE

American Civil Liberties Union of Maine | www.aclumaine.org

Four Directions Development Corporation | www.fourdirectionsmaine.org

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project | www.ilapmaine.org

Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition | www.facebook.com/MEImmigrantRightsCoalition

Maine Inside Out | www.maineinsideout.org

Showing Up for Racial Justice | www.showingupforracialjustice.org

Somali Bantu Community Association of Lewiston/Auburn | www.sbcmala.org

Opportunity

14 MAINE INSIGHTS

Among the three predominant themes that

emerged from the Maine Insights process,

climate change was unique. Although

it was not as frequently mentioned as

economic inequality and racial justice, the

participants raising the issue of climate

change were consistently among the most

fervent advocates for any single issue.

Environmental justice advocates also

emphasized that climate-related problems

suffer from the misperception that they

are less urgent. One participant from Blue

Hill summed it up this way: “I see our

community as a boat. And while social and

economic issues are concerns on the boat,

climate change is a hole in the boat!”

Conversations about climate change

focused both on specific environmental

implications of a changing climate and the

social and economic dislocation likely to

result from those changes.

Concerns cited by participants included

sea-level rise, shifts in farming zone

boundaries, declining forest health and

ecosystem impacts, ocean acidification and

acid rain, and unpredictable impacts on

public health.

Many participants described climate change

as being intersectional, acknowledging

a significant relationship between

economic, social, and environmental

justice and expressing growing alarm that

the negative effects of climate change

will disproportionately affect the most

vulnerable communities.

15%

44%

Our state’s snowfall – an important part of our winter tourist economy – has declined by 15% since the late 1800’s.5

Researchers forecast that stresses on the natural environment will change 44% of Maine’s landscape to a different kind of habitat.This is the highest percentageof any state.6

CLIMATE CHANGE

MAINE INSIGHTS 15

EXEMPLARY ORGANIZATIONS SERVING THE ENVIRONMENT IN MAINE

Environmental Health Strategy Center | www.ourhealthyfuture.org

Environment Maine Research and Policy Center | www.environmentmaine.org

Maine Conservation Alliance | www.protectmaine.org

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association | www.mofga.org

Toxics Action Center | www.toxicsaction.org

Participants noted that, while climate

change is a global concern, Maine has

been and has the potential to be a leader

in environmental activism. The state’s

longstanding history of conservationism

and environmental stewardship is a

proud and important legacy, and Mainers

have demonstrated their individual and

collective commitment to a better

climate future.

This commitment has been reflected by

recent environmental victories in places

like South Portland and Searsport and

in coordinated inter-sectoral efforts to

tackle these issues head-on, like the

recent Summit on Maine’s Economy and

Climate Change, which brought together

representatives from the state’s Chambers

of Commerce, nonprofit organizations,

business sector, and farms and fisheries.7

From cleaning up hazardous waste sites

that are stifling low income communities

to passing pesticide-free ordinances that

support Maine’s flourishing local and

sustainable food movement, the work of

Maine’s environmental advocacy groups

fit increasingly in the realm of economic

and social justice. This strategic placement

signals an exciting opportunity for even more

coordinated justice and equity initiatives.

5 The University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute: “Maine’s Climate Future: Update 2015,” 2015.6 Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences: “Climate Change and Biodiversity in Maine: A Climate Change Exposure Summary for Species and Key Habitats,” 2013. 7 The Kennebec Journal: “Challenges, opportunities of climate change in Maine,” 2015.

Climate change and its extremes will impact those

least able to adapt to it.–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

Opportunity

16 MAINE INSIGHTS

As is the case in any wide-ranging

conversation, Maine Insights participants

brought many justice and equity issues,

insights, and concerns to the table. In

each community conversation, we asked

participants to rank the issues that were

perceived to be of greatest opportunity

and urgency. The following represents

the themes that we heard emerge as

top priorities.

“Poverty is a women’s issue. 58% of Maine women who are single heads of household with children under five live in poverty, versus 47% nationally. This means that their children live in poverty, and the effects are widespread, deep, and long-lasting.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

It is clear that a consistent and intentional

focus on equity, opportunity, and success

for Maine’s women and girls is a critical

concern for our stakeholders. The Maine

Women’s Policy Center recently published

a report8 that identifies four priority areas

for women and girls in Maine: economic

security, civil rights, freedom from violence,

and access to healthcare and reproductive

rights. All of these issues were raised as high

priorities in the Maine Insights process.

CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES

WOMEN AND GENDER EQUALITY

More than 6 in 10 low-wage workers in Maine are women, and 62% of those women over the age of 25 are single heads of household.8

MAINE INSIGHTS 17

GOODGOVERNANCE ANDCLEAN ELECTIONS

LGBTQ ANDTRANSGENDERCIVIL RIGHTS

ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICES

8 Maine Women’s Policy Center: “Building a Prosperous Maine: A Roadmap to Economic Security for Women and their Families,” 2014.9 The Bangor Daily News: “AG: Maine on track to see record overdose deaths,” 2015.

“We must strategize together for a long-term vision for Maine. It should be connected to solid electoral policy, education, and civic participation.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

When the Maine Insights process kicked off

in 2015, many participants were engaged in

a ballot initiative to increase transparency

in campaign finance and strengthen our

state’s landmark Clean Election Act. On

Election Day, the grassroots work of Maine

Citizens for Clean Elections (MCCE) paid off.

Over 1,000 volunteers collected signatures

in support of Question 1, which passed by

a double-digit margin.

Even after this decisive victory—the act

became law in late December of 2015—we

heard strong support from participants for

increased transparency and accountability

in politics and government. We also heard

admiration for MCCE, their approach to

organizing, and support for similar citizen-

empowering grassroots ballot initiatives.

“As a young queer woman in Maine,I wonder how we can make every part of Maine—not just Portland—a safe and welcoming home for LGBTQ folks.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

LGBTQ issues in Maine were among the

most interesting and complex. Many

participants cited the successful passage

of marriage equality in 2012—and Maine’s

distinction as the first state to affirm

marriage equality through the popular vote,

led by Equality Maine—as a major victory

for justice and equity. Perhaps as a result,

some participants ranked general LGBTQ

issues as low justice and equity priorities.

In contrast, specific concerns were raised

about rural, youth, and elderly LGBTQ

populations and the importance of

transgender equity across the state. Indeed,

twice participants identified “Transgender

Rights” as a stand-alone issue and placed it

at the top of the priority list. “This is the fight

we’re in now,” the groups explained.

“A lot of our public health issues are tiedto other questions, including the disconnectedness and isolation a lot of people feel. I’m interested in how we rebuild our social fabric and confront mental health and addiction from that position of strength.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

Maine’s vulnerable populations die at

significantly higher-than-average rates from

preventable chronic illnesses such as heart

disease, asthma, and diabetes. Deep cuts

to public programs, especially services for

the mentally ill, laid heavy on many minds.

In particular, many participants expressed

concern about Maine’s heroin epidemic,

including record numbers of overdose

deaths in 2015.9

Participants agreed: It doesn’t have to

be this way. We heard a call for programs

and opportunities that address public

health crises and focus on education

and prevention.

True justice can onlybe achieved when

everyone works together.–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

18 MAINE INSIGHTS

There is no guarantee that the moral arc of the universe will bend toward justice. It is our job to make it so. We have to pay attention, stay connected in our communities and

find our common values.–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES

MAINE INSIGHTS 19

10 The National Center for Transgender Equality and the National LGBTQ Task Force: “The National Transgender Discrimination Survey,” 2012.11 The Portland Press Herald: “Maine Voices: Criminal justice system needs fix,” 2015.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM EDUCATION

“As the national conversation about mass incarceration gains momentum, Maine is ripe to name and implement alternatives that achieve true justice, and to be a model for the nation.” –INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

We were not surprised to hear from

our stakeholders that criminal justice

reform is central to a just and equal

society. Participants spoke out about

mass incarceration, the privatization of

“Supermax” prisons, reducing solitary

confinement, preventing the school-to-

prison pipeline and the revolving door

for young offenders, reducing mandatory

minimums, increasing safety and

guaranteeing basic rights for prisoners,

and eliminating racism and bias in

arrests and court trials.

Participants noted connections between

criminal justice reform and other justice

and equity issues, including racial justice,

economic justice, women’s equality, LGBTQ

equality, mental health and addiction,

and more. We heard a compassionate call

for human-centered programs, such as

the Restorative Justice Institute of Maine

and the Restorative Justice Project, and

alternatives to incarceration that work,

including rehabilitation, education, and

community building.

“We must increase access to quality education throughout the state.” –INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

Education was frequently cited as a

critical building block for many of the

justice and equity challenges we face

in Maine. Participants expressed support

for well-funded, high-quality early care

and education, K-12, higher education,

and career training programs across the

board. Parents shared their concerns

about achievement and attainment gaps,

funding disparities and quality differentials

across Maine’s many school districts;

participants talked about their desire

to keep more qualified young people in

the state for college and after graduation.

We heard participants loud and clear:

education is a cornerstone of progress.

26%

$27B

of transgender adults have lost ajob due to bias, 50% have experienced harassment while working, and 20% have been evicted or denied housing.Trans women see their incomesdecrease by 30% on average,post-transition.10

In 2015, Maine’s Department of Justice spent nearly a third of its $27 billion budget on prisons.11

20 MAINE INSIGHTS

Throughout all of our conversations we heard threads addressing topics beyond the scope of any one justice or equity priority, including:

SHIFTS IN THE MODEL

YOUTHENGAGEMENT

SCARCITY VSABUNDANCE

COMMUNITY FRAGMENTATION

“There is great hope and possibility within our youth to take the reins of leadership. They are energetic, courageous, fearless and they areour future.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

Twenty-three years after the founding

of Maine Initiatives, we can attest to

the eagerness within our community to

embrace a new generation of leaders in the

progressive movement in Maine. We heard

a clear call for organizations and cause-

related efforts to make room for youth not

only to participate, but to take leadership

roles in creating real and meaningful

change. New trends in intergenerational

organizing, and preparing young

activists to take the reins permeated

every conversation.

“We are collectively limiting our ability to move towards a just and fair society by our shared agreement to believe in the mythology of scarcity.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

While there wasn’t universal agreement

on this point, a small but vocal subset of

participants felt strongly that we need

to reject the narrative of scarcity and

deficiency that is often used to characterize

our communities. They asserted that

politicians create false dichotomies

to pit groups against each other, and

that a narrative of scarcity is used more

generally to impede social progress. Other

participants noted our communities’ own

inaction in the face of opportunities, citing

deficiency and scarcity while overlooking

available resources and untapped

potential within their own communities.

“We have to destroy the concept of‘from away.’ It fuels the concept ofother and divides our community.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

It is clear that while we strive to talk about

“one Maine”, we are increasingly pitted

against each other through geographical,

demographic, and ideological divides:

“from away” vs. Mainer, Greater Portland

vs. the rest of Maine, minority vs. majority,

etc. Opportunity arose in our conversations

around a systemic breakdown of these

divisive dichotomies—if the progressive

community can model a conversation

and movement around shared values

and coalition, perhaps we can piece back

together one united Maine.

MAINE INSIGHTS 21

There are many visionary young people in Maine who care deeply

about justice and need more meaningful opportunities to

develop their leadership and critical thinking about justice

and equity.–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

22 MAINE INSIGHTS

MAINE INSIGHTS 23

Looking Forward A VISION OF TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY IN MAINE

“We must build a platform for the voices of those who are currently under- or un-represented to speak for themselveson issues of economic, racial, and social justice.”–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

24 MAINE INSIGHTS

We may not share the same opinions, but we have the same fundamental values. I want my

kids to be healthy and safe, and for them to know justice. We

have to work together for that to happen.”


LOOKING FORWARD

MAINE INSIGHTS 25

Throughout the Maine Insights process we

heard a clarion call for greater collective

action in support of shared values. People

across Maine expressed concern that we

are becoming increasingly polarized: in our

discourse, our politics, who we talk to, who

we hear from, who we value. In many arenas

we see increasingly stark lines being drawn

between who is “us” and who is “them.”

Amidst these feelings of polarization and

division came a powerful clamor for greater

community; affirmation that we can still

come together around shared values and

act – independently and collectively – in

support of those values.

This is our work.

Maine Initiatives is a fund for change. But more than a fund, we are a network

of individuals – donors, activists, citizens –

supporting greater social, economic, and

environmental justice in Maine through

informed, intentional, and collective

action. Together, we identify, mobilize, and

leverage the resources of our community

in support of greater justice and equity for

all Mainers.

On one hand, this means money: since

1993 we have made over $3.5 million

in grants to grassroots community

organizations that have achieved lasting,

measurable victories for justice and equity

in our state. While money mobilized is

one measure of our success, our vision of

transformative community philanthropy

goes beyond money.

It is fundamentally about people: bringing

to bear our collective values, vision, and

resources on issues of justice and equity

in our state.

In this context, the Maine Insights process is

a cornerstone of our work moving forward.

This process of community outreach and

engagement affirms that there exists in our

community great untapped and unrealized

potential. Potential for:

Individuals to bring about positive

change in their communities;

Communities to embody greater

social, economic, and environmental

justice; and

All Mainers to be agents of change

in our communities, to be progressive

community philanthropists.

It is our charge and our commitmentto unleash this potential:

Through a practice of community

philanthropy that is not merely

about money, but about people –

their knowledge, experience,

relationships, resources, values,

and time;

By engaging and connecting people

on the issues that matter to them and

to their communities with intention,

with information, and with others.

This is our vision of transformative community philanthropy.

Transformative Community Philanthropy in Maine

As we pursue this vision, we do so within the context of the themes that have emerged through the Maine Insights process. While allof the themes raised throughthis process fit within the broad scope of Maine Initiatives’ mission, we will prioritize an emphasis onracial justice and equity.

26 MAINE INSIGHTS

LOOKING FORWARD

Racial injustice is woven into the

fabric of our nation. It is historical and

contemporary. It has social, economic,

and environmental expressions. And it

is something that can only be effectively

addressed through a combination of

individual and collective action.

While there is a great deal of collective

concern about racial justice and equity,

we also observe a sense of intractability

about the problem. People feel limited

individual capacity to have an impact

on issues of racial justice. Organizations,

coalitions, and even funders are often

reluctant or ill equipped to directly

engage with the topic.

Maine Initiatives seeks to address this

collective hesitancy, using our grantmaking,

programming, communications, and

convening power to build opportunities

for greater action on racial justice in Maine.

We will create space for individuals and

organizations to actively engage with these

issues and will highlight unheralded and

underfunded work already occurring in our

state that is having important impacts on

this cause.

We are inspired and informed by

organizations whose work across many

different sectors—women’s equality,

tribal rights, immigrant issues, economic

empowerment, health, criminal justice,

youth activism and leadership—is

increasing racial justice in Maine. Our

efforts will highlight these success stories

and make room for deepening our

understanding of, and our commitment

to, racial justice and equity.

Why Racial Justiceand Equity?

MAINE INSIGHTS 27

We need to nurture connectedness, shared experience and value

all Mainers.–INSIGHTS PARTICIPANT

28 MAINE INSIGHTS

LOOKING FORWARD

OWNERSHIP AGENCY OPPORTUNITY

Even within the progressive community,

there exists a sense that racism and racial

injustice are primarily problems of a few

bad apples: racists. As such, the solution

to the problem is to “fix” the racists. This

notion presents a problem of ownership in

that it limits the role “non-racists” have in

fostering and advancing racial justice in our

communities, beyond rooting out racism.

Even for those individuals committed

to advancing racial justice, the issues of

racial justice and racial equity are often

perceived as “original sins” of our nation,

far beyond the ability of one individual

to address. Faced with a seemingly

immovable part of our social, economic,

and historic fabric, the question becomes

“what is one person to do?” For many,

there appears to be no clear place of

purchase for engaging on the issues of

racial justice and equity.

Finally, even for a person committed to

playing an activist role on racial justice in

his or her community, there is not a clear

path to engagement and effectiveness.

For many other topics discussed, there

is robust scaffolding and infrastructure:

organizations, coalitions, and funders for

whom the issue is central to their mission.

However, the multi-sectoral nature of

racial justice and equity pursuits makes

the development of structural support

networks an unwieldy endeavor.

Three Challenges to Addressing Racial Justice and Equity:

As we address the issues of racial justice and equity through this lens, we also recognize the intricacy of these topics. The Maine Insights

conversations highlighted three challenges related to a communitarian approach to addressing racial justice and racial equity:

MAINE INSIGHTS 29

We must ask:

Who speaks for issues of racial justice?

Who supports those voices? Who convenes

individuals and organizations advancing

racial equity? Who coordinates strategy?

Who funds this work? Who celebrates

the victories?

Maine Initiatives is in a unique position to

create the space to ask and seek answers

to these questions. And we are committed

to doing so.

While we propose to address racial inequity,

we do recognize that it is one of the most

complicated justice issues facing our

communities, our state, and indeed our

nation. As such, we don’t expect to solve

the issues of racial injustice. Instead, we

expect to increase collective ownership

of this issue: engaging our full community

in the search for and support of the

solutions here in Maine.

This will be a complex process, one in which

we will need to address our discomfort with

risk taking, embrace the ideas of others,

and unify around a shared vision for Maine

and its people.

Will you join us?

30 MAINE INSIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are many people in our communities and our state who are hungry for change and eager to take collective action to move us toward social, economic, and

environmental justice.


MAINE INSIGHTS 31

Maine Initiatives

is a community

of more than

2,000 individual donors and activists

supporting greater social, economic,

and environmental justice in Maine

through informed, intentional, and

collective philanthropy.

We are a progressive foundation.We make grants to fund and strengthen

nonprofit organizations that are

advancing social, economic, and

environmental justice from the

grassroots up.

We are a public foundation.We make grants with the money we raise

from the community, pooling large and

small donations from many supporters.

We are the people’s foundation.We are a community of individuals

engaging and expressing their progressive

values with intention, with information,

and with each other.

Philip Walsh, Caitlin Gilmet, and

Andrea Berry

We are grateful to our Maine Insights hosts:

Charity West; Meri and Lee Lowry; Waterfall

Arts Center; Betsy Smith and Jennifer

Hoopes; First Parish Church in Portland;

Tom and Cindy Longstaff; Drew Christopher

Joy and the Southern Maine Workers’

Center; Pious Ali, Susan Roche and the

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project; Larry

Dansinger and the Peace & Justice Center of

Eastern Maine; Jennifer Goldman and Sarah

Lewis; Rebecca Darr Lichtfield, Jeremy

Lichtfield, and Coastal Enterprises, Inc.;

and Leslie Goode and the Blue Hill

Public Library.

Generous support from the Broad Reach

Fund and individual donors to Maine

Initiatives made this report possible.

And to our Maine Insights participants,

individually and collectively:

Thank you.

Authors

Design & Photography

Acknowledgments

About Maine Initiatives

Polychrome Collective

Thanks to Maine Inside Out, Resident

Owned Neighborhood Associations of

Maine, and the Somali Bantu Community

Association of Lewiston and Auburn for

offering their community gatherings as

subjects for our report photography.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONSABOUT JUSTICE AND EQUITY

IN MAINE

maineinitiatives.orgPO Box 66 | 14 Maine Street, Brunswick, ME 04011 | (207) 607-4070

Maine Insights

maine insights report by maine initiatives

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