Historian Bob Green reveals little known details about Black people in Maine in an LCHA lecture on Feb. 10. Submitted photo
Lincoln County Historical Association’s annual Winter Lecture Series features two talks this month that focus on Black people in the history of Maine.
On Thursday, Feb. 10, historian Bob Green will reveal details about Black people in Maine that seldom appear in history texts, according to a news release from the Lincoln County Historical Association. On Feb. 24, James Tanzer plans to discuss his research into the life of Quash, a Black man in 18th century Lincoln County.
The talks will be held at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Registration is required. There is no charge for either one, but your donations will support the organization’s work to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of Lincoln County.V
Green’s talk will focus on Maine being said to be the whitest state in America. Yet Black people have a long history in the Pine Tree State. Slaves? Yes. But also builders, farmers, fishermen, ship captains, educators, etc. It’s that hidden history of our state that Greene will reveal.
A native of Portland, Greene is the eighth generation of his family to be born in Cumberland County. His roots in Maine stretch back into the 1700s. After graduating from Portland High, he went off to college and a career as a journalist, covering among other things airplane crashes, Mississippi River floods and the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He has met three presidents: Harry Truman, Lyndon Baines Johnson and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. And, as The Associated Press Tennis Writer, he traveled the world covering the sport.
After retiring he returned home to Maine where his genealogical research has led to his deep knowledge about Maine’s Black history. He currently teaches a Black History of Maine course at OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at the University of Southern Maine. He also is the 2021 recipient of the Maine Historical Society’s Neal Allen Award, which is presented each year for exceptional contributions to Maine History.
While working on a genealogy project in the history of a local white family in Lincoln County, independent researcher Tanzer came across a digital copy of the will of a formerly enslaved Black man named Quash, who lived in Topsham during the 18th century.
Eager to learn more about Quash, but unable to find any mention of him in local history books, James decided to research Quash’s life himself. Thus began a months-long project in local history to uncover the life of Quash, and bring his memory to the fore once again in the communities in which he lived.
By searching for evidence in Quash’s surroundings, including town records and social connections, not only was James able to find direct evidence of Quash’s life, but build a vibrant picture of a well-connected, motivated, and successful individual, whose story adds weight to arguments that Black history is there to be found, if only we know where to look.
For more information, or to register, visit lincolncountyhistory.org.
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