US Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) Was the Keynote Speaker at Gathering Today.
Penobscot Tribal Elder Donna Loring
Huge Crowd at Merrill Auditorium, Portland, Remembance.
Leonard Cummings, Restorer of the Abyssinian Church on Munjoy Hill, With His Wife to His Left.
Carol McCracken (Post # 2,333)
Love will overcome racism was one of the messages from many of the speakers at a Remembrance and Peace gathering in memory of the nine black people who were shot to death in Charleston, South Carolina last week. That was the moving theme of spiritual leaders in the Portland community.
Today’s mostly white gathering at Merrill Auditorium was a response to the murder of nine black people in South Carolina which has left the country numb from its shock of the racism by the young murderer last week.
“Right here in our state there are some who think families that have fled violence and presecution in their war torn countries don’t even deserve a hand up as they struggle to build new lives here in our communities. Instead, the word ‘immigrant’ is used to vilify,” said US Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) in an electrifying statement referring to Governor Paul LePage’s War on Portland’s Immigrants It brought the 1,500 at Merrill Auditorium to their feet applauding and cheering Pingree’s veracity. Her message was an economic solution as well as was the message from Portland’s Mayor Michael Brennan.
Mayor Brennen has been battling Governor LePage over General Assistance (GA) funds. The Mayor said he’s committed to continue to work to eliminate homelessness, racism, food insecurity and to provide jobs for immigrants in Portland.
Penobscot Tribal Elder Donna Loring: “We’ve all done a lot to fight for freedom that our nation enjoys. The killer in Charleston wanted to start a race war. It’s not a black problem. It’s not an Indian problem. It”s not an Asian problem. It’s an American problem. and It started in 1492,” she said to another standing ovation, one of many during the hour plus long Gathering.