I wanted to do a follow up on my post from two weeks ago. The situation with the new neo-Nazi headquarters in Maine is ongoing, but I wanted to update you on what is going on, share the responses I've received from my representatives, and encourage a new action step.
In the two weeks since my last post, there has been an increase in white-supremacist action in Maine. On Saturday, August 12, there was a white nationalist demonstration in Augusta, where members of the hate group NSC-131 held up a banner reading "Keep New England White" while performing the Nazi salute and chanting "refugees, go home." Christopher Polhaus, the same man responsible for the neo-Nazi headquarters being constructed near Springfield, was identified as one of the leaders of the protest.
A terrifying image from the neo-Nazi rally in Augusta, sourced from the Portland Press Herald.
These actions are part of a larger trend of white nationalism on the rise in New England. According to the Anti-Defamation League report released in March of this year, white nationalist incidents are up 50% in Maine (in comparison to 2021), and up 96% in New England as a whole. New Hampshire, our neighbors, saw a 383% increase in white nationalist incidents.
Governor Mills and Maine legislators from both parties have spoken out against this rising movement of hatred in the state, and have reiterated that there is no home for hate here. You can read more of their comments here.
So, what can we do about this?
First, remember why we are fighting. Combating an issue like white nationalism is terrifying. It is hard to even fathom the kind of hatred we are up against. We have to remember that we are not only standing up for marginalized communities, but for our friends and our family and our neighbors who belong to those communities. We are standing up for the people of color, LGBTQ+ people, women, immigrants, and Jewish people in our lives who we care about deeply, and we are defending their right and our right to freely express ourselves, practice our own religions, and exist without fear of harassment or death. That is why this is so important, and why we have to keep going.
Second, refuse to be silenced. We must continue to exercise our constitutional right to Freedom of Speech to express how we feel about white nationalism invading our state. We must continue to express that this kind of hate is not welcome here. We must also use our right to peacefully assemble when the time comes, and show up in numbers so great that they cannot be denied.
Third, contact your representatives. Our state representatives and our state senators will be the ones leading the charge against white supremacy from the legislative side. Write to the people who represent your town and express how you feel about this increase in white nationalism in our state. If you need help getting started, you can read the letter I wrote to my representatives here. And if you need help locating your state senator and your state representative, you can visit this site to find out who they are and how to contact them.
The reason I always encourage contacting your state reps is because you directly elected them to support your interests and the interests of your town at the state level. They also have fewer constituents than your representatives in Washington, so you are more likely to get a response from them and you are able to hold them accountable. Contacting your state reps is more like the beginning of a conversation than a shout into the void. These are the people that live in your town, so they want to know what you care about.
I received a response from both my state senator, Senator Jim Libby, and my state representative, Representative Kimberly Pomerleau, about the construction of the neo-Nazi headquarters near Springfield. Senator Libby has said that he will do his best to monitor this horrible development, and Representative Pomerleau has expressed her concern and is working to find answers for all of us. While their answers were short and lacked details of any current plans, I very much appreciate that my state reps took the time to respond to my concerns. The Maine legislature is not currently in session, but when it returns I am hopeful to see some comprehensive legislative proposals on how to tackle the rising issue of white nationalism in Maine.
If you have already contacted your representatives, and you are looking for another action step to take to help get rid of white supremacy in Maine, you can help support Project Relief's new community fund. Project Relief is a racial justice and mutual aid organization run by a group of Black youths in Maine (you can read more about them here). The new community fund, called the Mainers Against White Supremacy Community Fund, will be used to train local activists, fund self defense courses, start up a "know your rights" campaign for immigrant and refugee communities, and provide mutual aid to marginalized people in Maine. You can donate here. If you are in a position right now where you are not financially able to donate, please share the link with as many people as you can. If you want to go even further to support their mutual aid efforts (and look cool while doing it!) you can also buy a Project Relief t-shirt here.
We are dealing with difficult and heartbreaking issues here. I know firsthand that this can be exhausting and demoralizing. We need to focus on what is important, remember why we are doing this, and keep fighting, no matter what. We know that we are on the right side of history.
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