Racial Equity

A just economic system works for everyone, regardless of what you look like or where you come from. Past and current laws and policies have favored some people and discriminated against others based on race, ethnicity, and gender and this has led to disparities in economic and social measures of well-being. To advance economic security and opportunity in Maine, we need to target and shrink racial disparities that our current laws, systems, and institutions perpetuate.

When approximately 13.5% of white/non Hispanic children in Maine live in poverty…
…and over 34.8% of children from Maine’s tribes live in poverty…
…and over 45.6% of children from Maine’s black or African American families live in poverty,

there is no denying that inequities exist that must be addressed at a systems-level.

The available data show that systems and institutions in Maine, like our schools and our criminal justice system, make it harder for indigenous communities, Black families, and other Mainers of color to thrive. The effects of racism in our institutions and laws have been cumulative over time. For example, even with advancements in civil rights and protections against discrimination, Black Americans have not been able to overcome the wealth gap; in fact, the gap has widened.

Structural racism and inequities in our systems hold individuals and families back, depriving Maine’s communities of potential leaders, business owners, educators, and workers. Until we shrink these disparities, we are falling far short of upholding the promise of basic fairness in our systems and opportunity for everyone who strives to get ahead.

Maine Equal Justice works alongside lawmakers, state and local agencies, and other organizations and individuals to help ensure everyone in our state, whether they're white, black or brown, can meet their basic needs and access economic opportunities.

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