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 the fifth episode of the Maine’s Black Future podcast with a brief history of Gerald E. Talbot, civil and human rights activist, Maine state legislator, and author.
Talbot grew up in Bangor and worked a career as a printer at Maine’s largest newspaper. He was the founding president of Portland’s NAACP and Maine’s first Black state representative. He helped shape the state, and has inspired Maine activists for over 70 years.
Later in the episode, Genius sits down with Bangor resident Angela Okafor, an attorney, real estate agent and the Acting Community Engagement Director for the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations.
Originally from southeast Nigeria, Okafor brought much of her culture with her, as well as creating culture based solutions for Bangor residents, and across the state.
She is Bangor’s first person of color and immigrant elected to the Bangor City Council, and shared that her Council position was made possible by the work of Talbot and others before him.
The conversation touches on her biggest honors, and her efforts to practice law in the state of Maine. The conversation rounds out with some recognition of allies of Black Mainers, and a peek into her thoughts on 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, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Player FM, Listen Notes, Podcast Index, Goodpods 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
Episode 3: The history of John Brown Russwurm and an interview with Adilah Muhammad
Episode 4: A story of Sherman Kentucky Ferguson and an interview with David Patrick
Podcast Series Notes
Maine’s Black Future Podcast is supported by Maine Initiative’s Grants for Change program and receives editing and multimedia support from The Maine Monitor, which also serves as the fiscal sponsor for Maine’s Black Future.
This relationship also means you can now give your tax deductible gift or donation to the Maine’s Black Future Podcast, via the Maine Monitor.
Genius Black, or Jerry Edwards, was recently named the 2024 Media Arts Fellow for the Maine Arts Commission. This podcast is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Theme music produced by Genius Black, composed by Genius along with Bill Giordano on bass and Ben Noyes on acoustic piano.
Podcast recorded, and produced by Genius Black at Portland Media Center, for The Maine Monitor.
Episode References & Links
Maine’s Visible Black History, The First Chronicles of its People by H.H. Price and Gerald E. Talbot.
Angela Okafor – Realty of Maine
Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations
Connect with Genius on Instagram.
