Bob Greene Contributed photo
Bob Greene, 2021 recipient of the Maine Historical Society’s Neal Allen Award, plans to present his talk, “Black History of Maine,” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Lewiston Public Library.
This free, public program will be held on Zoom and livestreamed to the library’s Facebook page. Registration is required.
It is frequently said that Maine is the whitest state in America, yet Black people have a long history in the Pine Tree State. While there were slaves, there were also builders, farmers, fishermen, ship captains, educators, and more. It’s that hidden history of Maine that Greene will reveal in his presentation.
Greene, a Portland native, 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 School, Greene 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. As The Associated Press tennis writer, Greene traveled the world covering the sport.
After retiring he returned home to Maine, where his genealogical research has led to his deep knowledge of the state’s Black history. He teaches a Black History of Maine course at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine.
The library is located downtown at 200 Lisbon St., at the corner of Pine Street. To register and for more information about this program, contact the library at lplreference@lewistonmaine.gov or 207-513-3135.
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