Keywords: Segregation
Item 103908
St. Louis Cardinals bench coach, Branch Rickey, ca. 1920
Contributed by: Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media Date: circa 1930 Location: Portland Media: Glass Negative
Item 105111
Crowd awaits General Pershing, Portland, 1920
Contributed by: Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media Date: 1920 Location: Portland Media: Glass Plate Negative
Exhibit
A Convenient Soldier: The Black Guards of Maine
The Black Guards were African American Army soldiers, members of the segregated Second Battalion of the 366th Infantry sent to guard the railways of Maine during World War II, from 1941 to 1945. The purpose of the Black Guards' deployment to Maine was to prevent terrorist attacks along the railways, and to keep Maine citizens safe during the war.
Exhibit
Black soldiers served in Maine during World War II, assigned in small numbers throughout the state to guard Grand Trunk rail lines from a possible German attack. The soldiers, who lived in railroad cars near their posts often interacted with local residents.
Site Page
Malaga Island: a story best left untold - Maine State documents and Proclamations
"… that the colony be broken up and the people segregated. The inhabitants then numbered about 56, a large part of whom were state paupers."
Site Page
View collections, facts, and contact information for this Contributing Partner.
Story
Dancing through barriers
by Garrett Stewart
My Dad performed on the Dave Astor Show in Portland during the civil rights era.
