Banned Histories of Race in America

For Juneteenth this year I was given the distinct honor of presenting reflections on the holiday as part of Maine Inside Out’s celebrations in Lewiston and Portland. I couldn’t be more grateful for such a wonderful opportunity from such an incredible organization. Here are my remarks from the events and why I believe Juneteenth is the most important day of the year. Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900 held in “East Woods” on East 24th Street in Austin. Credit: Austin History Center.

Graham Platner is the Democratic nominee for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. He’s got a lot of work to do. In more ways than one. To truly understand the task ahead of him, there are some thing you should know about Maine. First of all, Maine is the whitest state, but its history will tell you that there’s a difference between being the whitest and acting like it. For example, race has never been a barrier to voting in Maine.

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks at an event hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders in Orono, Maine, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Democrats’ reaction to Graham Platner is making it pretty weird to be a Mainer right now. On one end, you’ve got the Vote-Blue-No-Matter-Who anti-Mamdani hypocrites supporting Susan Collins.

The hidden tradition behind the lifestyle trend Podcasts! Social media! Bestselling books! Tradwives are everywhere right now and I wrote about their blueprint and their connection to Maine for the May edition of The Bollard. Let me know what you think! It’s May! We did it! Spring is here! The flowers are blooming! What did you get your mother for Mother’s Day? Has she read Yesteryear yet?

A racist streamer known as ChudTheBuilder developed an online following by walking around Nashville, shouting racial slurs at people and flashing a gun. His intent was to get away with murdering a Black person, as you can see from his own social media. Last Wednesday at 1:15 in the afternoon, this racist shot a Black man outside of a courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee. Share When we talk about this kind of racist violence, we speak as though it’s an inevitable or permanent part of American life.

Last week white supremacists in Tennessee passed a law destroying the state’s only Black-majority district. The law also got rid of a rule requiring the state to notify voters of new districts. This falls in line with a long list of anti-democratic Tennessee secrets perpetuating common American myths. One of those myths is that while, sure, the founding fathers enslaved Black people, that’s only because everyone was just kinda cool with it back then. Of course, that’s not anywhere near true.

Everyone in my Gorham, Maine high school freshman English class had to write a seven-page paper. The idea of seven pages felt like 700, but at least we all got to choose our individual topics. I chose the assassination of Malcolm X. Of course, the problem was the internet wasn’t what it is today and local libraries were limited on the subject. Research was going to be tough, but my teacher, Ms. Ray, had an idea. She knew about a guy.

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to a French scientist with word of the newly established United States. The letter explained, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” This line has since become a common expression of universal truth, but it left at least one thing out.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist. Most of the time, conspiracy theories seem less frightening than whatever horror they’re avoiding. And when it comes right down to it, they’re usually trying to answer questions I’m just not asking. I can’t really figure out why Area 51 or a flat Earth or a second shooter on the grassy knoll should concern me at all. That said, Black people and white people do have a fundamentally different understanding of conspiracies.

Six months ago, music from fake, AI musicians started appearing on real music charts. A month ago, Rolling Stone published a story about how AI is impersonating real, actually-living indie musicians and making music as those musicians. In some cases, this has led to music distributors filing copyright claims for the AI imposters against the actual musicians being impersonated.