Abdi Nor Iftin is a Somali-American writer, radio journalist and public speaker. He lives in Yarmouth. He can be contacted at noriftin@gmail.com.
To the neo-Nazis who recently rallied in Portland: I want to make it clear that the Black community is here to stay in Maine.
To everyone else: I must express my concern about the increasingly difficult situation for Black people in our beloved state.
As a resident of Maine for the past nine years, I have witnessed the need for our community to voice our concerns repeatedly against the killings of Black men and women. On my first day here in Maine, Michael Brown, a young African American man was killed in Ferguson, Missouri, by white police officers. So for me, on day one, the trauma began. I lost count on how many rallies I have attended to speak up against these police killings of Black people.
On top of that, we in the Black community face neo-Nazi attacks on social media and now in organized events designed to pressure us to give up on the state.
I watched April 1 as these white supremacists rallied in Portland with a sign that said they wanted to defend the white community. I wonder, what are they defending the white community in Maine against? What do Black people here have that white Mainers do not? How am I a threat to the existence of the white community when I speak English 90% of the time despite it not being my native language, and I must assimilate into American culture every day? I wonder why they think they need to save one of the whitest states in the nation from Black people.
It is crucial to remember that neo-Nazis believe in the racial superiority of white people. They are determined to see society end as we know it. Many believe that white people only should remain in the U.S., and Black people belong in Africa. Every single white supremacist who rallied in Portland last week would want to see all Black immigrants in Maine go back to where we came from. Are the Maine white supremacists working on scaring Back people out of the state? I would not be surprised if so.
White supremacists will not hear a Black person, especially one from an immigrant community in Maine, say they think any race is superior to another, even if we were all Black people a couple hundred thousand years ago. Then, we all had the same dark skin pigmentation as mine, which is naturally rich in melanin. I am proud of my skin color, but I have no reason to think – as I am sure others in my community agree – that other skin colors are less worthy. In my upbringing, we never talked about race or skin color, and I was not programmed to hate anyone. The neo-Nazis in Maine are determined and fully indoctrinated in their white supremacy. They organize rallies, even during the holy month of Ramadan, and come prepared for confrontation.
The Black community is here to stay, but we will have to be extra cautious, especially now as we head into warmer days when we should be out enjoying the beautiful nature of Maine. As a lover of Maine’s wilderness, I will be more vigilant this year and ensure my friends know my whereabouts. It is my community that deserves protection, not the white community that already enjoys all the privileges they have in the this state and this country.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
