The Maine’s Black Future podcast boldly visits stories of historic Black Mainers and the legacies they carved into the state. Then we connect this longstanding history to Black changemakers weaving Maine’s Black future today!
We define terminology, keep it real, and invite you to connect deeply with Black Mainers creating the future that we want to live in. We showcase Black excellence occurring all over Maine and feature original music production from the GEM CITY Maine collective, throughout.
Host Genius Black opens episode 3 with a look at John Brown Russwurm, a Jamaican born bi-racial man who came to Maine in 1812 with his English father.
Russwurm lost both his parents at an early age, but grew up with a caring stepmother who eventually helped him enroll into Bowdoin College.
Russwurm became Bowdoin’s first African American graduate, and the third inside the United States. He went on to co-found America’s first African-American owned publication, Freedom’s Journal. Later, he emigrated to Liberia, serving as the settlement’s first Black governor.
Later in the episode, Genius sits with Adilah Muhammad, originally from Decatur, Georgia currently living and working as a multifaceted leader inside Maine.
Muhammad shares her experience growing up in Georgia in the 80’s, investing in real estate, founding a non-profit, and looking to her vision of Maine’s Black future.
You can listen below to the episode or you can find it on some of your favorite podcast hosting platforms including Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Player FM, Listen Notes, Deezer, Podcast Index and Pocket Casts.
Past Episodes
Episode 1: The history of London Atus and an interview with Alfine Nathalie.
Episode 2: The history of Pedro Tovookan Parris and an interview with Junes Thete
References & Links
Yarmouth History Center Lecture Series: C. Patrick Burrowes, PhD, on John Brown Russwurm (1799-1851)
