For Us, By Us

In the days since the election, attacks against People of Color (PoC) have become more frequent across our divided country. Here in Maine, PoC have been facing increased harassment and violence, on the streets and in our schools. It has become clear that PoC in southern Maine need resources and safe spaces to organize ourselves, heal ourselves, and to create. Our communities face unique challenges partly because we live as such an extreme minority of the population. While some of us are able to find time and space to gather on occasion, few of us are able to pull together resources with any consistency. This lack of capacity means that we remain isolated in our terror, unable to connect with each other and support one another as needed. So, thank you so much for making your way to our Patreon page. We have some plans for meeting the challenges ahead and we are asking you to be a part of it all. We all have access to platforms that have immense potential to build communities to support our vision of the way life and liberty should be. Whomever supports us, whomever encourages us, whomever bands together with us, becomes a part of this vision. Please share our efforts with your networks so we can work for our vision to become reality. WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW: We need a flexible fund to support gatherings – money to help us rent spaces for us to safely meet; money to help provide transportation for those of us who live outside of Portland; money to help offer childcare during gatherings. We need these resources to help us come together so that we can (1) provide a space to set priorities among ourselves for our own communities; and (2) build the structural capacity needed to move towards PoC-lead, sustainable institutions. In time, our hope is to use the funds raised here to establish a more permanent space for PoC in southern Maine to gather safely, to develop PoC leadership, and address the priorities our communities set. We hope to keep you all updated via this site and social media. ABOUT US: Samaa and Marena are Portland-based organizers affiliated with various organizations, groups, and individuals between us. We are committed to social justice. We love our people and want to empower them.