Augusta, ME – The Maine Justice Foundation is proud to announce the successful completion of its 2023-2024 Racial Justice Fund Grant projects. With grants awarded to six organizations, these initiatives have advanced racial equity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities across Maine.
Now in its fourth year, the Racial Justice Fund has raised over $830,000, distributing $130,000 in grants to address systemic racism and inequities in Maine’s institutions and communities. These efforts are made possible through the generosity of individual, corporate, and philanthropic supporters committed to creating meaningful change.
“We are honored to support these organizations working to create racial equity and positive impact for BIPOC communities throughout the state. We are grateful to the many individual and corporate supporters of the Racial Justice Fund for believing in this effort and investing in positive change. Together, we are making a meaningful difference and supporting a culture of inclusion and equity for all,” says Michelle Draeger, Executive Director of the Maine Justice Foundation.
Grant Project Highlights
Maine Inside Out was awarded $10,000 to empower incarcerated artists through original theater performances. In Spring 2024, Maine Inside Out (MIO) conducted weekly theater workshops with artists incarcerated at Mountain View Correctional Facility, fostering trust, vulnerability, and collaboration through activities like personal story sharing and theater skill-building. The group created an original play, Life Lost in the Streets, and prepared for performances scheduled for early June. Following an unanticipated cancellation of the live performance, MIO integrated audio recordings from the artists into a new theater piece, Broken Clock, developed by MIO staff and Lewiston community members. The play premiered at Lewiston’s Juneteenth festival and is now on a fall tour, with approximately 300 audience members to date. The recordings will also be featured in a short film displaying MIO’s work, set for release in late 2024. https://www.maineinsideout.org/films
The Ladder to the Moon Network utilized a $10,000 grant to produce a successful podcast series aimed at increasing civic engagement and trust in the election process within immigrant communities. Weekly podcasts in English, French, and Kinyarwanda/Kirundi have garnered viewership of 300–500 per episode, with French and Kirundi/Kinyarwanda videos being particularly popular. The organization also collaborated with the ACLU to produce eight videos in different languages after the 2023 election, educating immigrant communities about their rights regardless of immigration status. These videos, alongside a feature video with Rep. Chellie Pingree, have expanded Ladder to the Moon’s reach and impact. https://www.wmpg.org/wmpg-podcasts/amjambo-time/
The Maine Commission on Public Defense Services hosted five attorney training sessions with its $10,000 grant, addressing racial bias and inequities in the courtroom. The Maine Commission on Public Defense Services hosted five highly impactful racial justice training sessions for legal professionals, with a sixth planned for 2025. The trainings, attended by a total of over 400 attorneys, covered topics such as racial bias in the courtroom, culturally humble representation, and strategies to interrupt bias in the criminal justice system. Recordings of these sessions have been added to the Commission’s training library, ensuring continued accessibility for Maine’s legal professionals. Feedback from participants highlighted increased knowledge and actionable tools for addressing racial injustice in their practices.
In Her Presence received $5,000 to provide culturally appropriate, nutritious food for residents at the Frances Warde Home. In Her Presence addressed food insecurity by engaging residents from six different countries in discussions about culturally appropriate and nutritious foods. The project included shopping tours at local ethnic food vendors, the creation of a Maine Immigrant Greens Collaborative Education Program, and ongoing support for new residents without access to TANF or food stamps. The staff learned valuable lessons about cultural attachments to food, food safety practices, and appliance training, which informed a comprehensive approach to improving maternal and child health among immigrant families.
The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) was granted $10,000 to support its 2024 Racial Justice Fellow. Ange Ishimwe, a senior at Bowdoin College majoring in Africana Studies, Digital and Computational Studies, and Government and Legal Studies, has been named this year’s Racial Justice Fellow. With a background in researching the U.S. immigration system’s racist roots and interning with the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and the Maine Department of Education, Ange brings a strong focus on advocacy and inclusion. As part of her Fellowship, Ange will lead a “Community Conversations” project, conducting outreach to immigrant communities to gather insights on their immigration legal needs and other concerns. These findings will inform ILAP’s 2025 strategic plan and future programming. She is currently designing the project, with outreach sessions set to begin in early 2025.
The Alpha Legal Foundation received $5,000 to launch its Maine Justice Corps initiative, focused on establishing a legal navigators program in courthouses to support underserved BIPOC communities. The Alpha Legal Foundation used its grant to lay the groundwork for the Maine Justice Corps, a legal navigators program in Androscoggin and Cumberland counties. By training and placing AmeriCorps members as legal navigators, the project aimed to address barriers BIPOC communities face in accessing legal services. A key milestone was securing AmeriCorps approval, achieved through the submission of a successful grant application. Achieving AmeriCorps approval was a key milestone, paving the way for expanded access to legal resources. The Foundation documented comprehensive training materials, established formal partnerships, and adapted to challenges posed by off-cycle grant opportunities from Volunteer Maine. This groundwork has positioned the organization to launch the program in 2025, ensuring sustainable impact for underserved communities.
The Maine Justice Foundation remains deeply committed to advancing access to justice and fostering equity throughout Maine. By supporting innovative projects and empowering dedicated organizations, we aim to create meaningful, lasting change in our communities. Together with our partners, donors, and supporters, we continue to work toward a future where justice is accessible to all. We remain grateful to all donors to the Fund, including the founders:
AARP Maine, Androscoggin Bank, AT&T, Baker Newman Noyes, Bangor Savings Bank, Bernstein Shur, Central Maine Power, Cross Insurance, Birchbrook, Drummond Woodsum, Eaton Peabody, F.L. Putnam Investment Management Company, Gorham Savings Bank, HM Payson, Hancock Lumber, Hannaford Supermarkets, Harvard Pilgrim, Northern Light Health, Pierce Atwood, Preti Flaherty, RM Davis, Verrill, and the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.
The Fund’s Advisory Committee issued a request for proposals, reviewed applications, conducted site visits and evaluated the final project reports. The current co-chairs are Dr. Evelyn Silver and Reginald Parson. The current members of the Advisory Committee are Mary Herman, Francys Perkins, Shelly Okere, Bill Harwood, and Janis Cohen. We are grateful to Professor Marcelle Medford for her past leadership of the Advisory Committee and positive impact on the grant-making process of the Racial Justice Fund.
The Maine Justice Foundation, founded in 1983 as the Maine Bar Foundation, is the state’s leading funder of civil legal aid and is committed to ensuring access to justice for all Mainers. Find us online and support the Racial Justice Fund at www.justicemaine.org.
FMI: Contact Michelle G. Draeger, Executive Director: (207) 620-1351, mdraeger@justicemaine.org