Why It Matters:
I’d love to see you at this amazing event coming up on May 4. Vana Carmona shares her research on Maine and the area we now call Westbrook, Gorham, and Portland. Uncovering enslavement in Maine and Westbrook in the 17th & 18th Centuries, with Vana Carmona of The Prince Project Sat, May 4, 1:30-2:30pm Westbrook Community Center, Oak Rm 426 Bridge St, Westbrook, ME Ten years ago, Vana Carmona discovered the gravestone of a man named Prince near several of her family’s burial plots. Learning he had been enslaved by her ancestors, she embarked on a historical quest to find others. Soon she found out that enslavement in Maine was more common than she ever believed. Moreover, many of our founding fathers were also complicit in human trafficking from Africa. Today, Vana's research has evolved into The Prince Project, now a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. It has a database of almost 2000 people of color who lived in Maine prior to 1800, including Westbrook. The result has been a unique uncovering of enslavement in Maine, a history that is often misconstrued - if not ignored. Come learn about the history of Westbrook's early residents and their involvement in chattel slavery that was not made illegal in the State of Massachusetts (including the lands we now call Maine) until 1783.