The ACLU of Maine mourns the passing of Gerald E. Talbot, a Maine civil rights pioneer. For decades, Gerry led the fight for civil rights in Maine, from participating in the March on Washington in 1963 to founding and directing the Portland NAACP. He served three terms in the House as the state's first Black legislator, during which he supported tribal sovereignty, championed the Maine Fair Housing Act, advocated for the creation of the Maine Human Rights Commission, and sponsored the inclusion of legal protections against discrimination for gays and lesbians in the Maine Human Rights Act.
Born in Bangor, as a young man Gerry served in the Army and then ran the printing press at the Maine Printing Company starting in 1964. He later spent 25 years working for the Guy Gannett Publishing Company. His commitment to public service continued throughout his life. He was the first Black member and then chair of the Maine State Board of Education, and he served on the Board of Trustees at the University of New England, the Maine State Committee on Aging, AARP at the state and national levels, and the Board of Visitors at the University of Southern Maine. In 2006, he co-authored a book about Black Mainers, Maine's Visible Black History: The First Chronicle of Its People.
Our thoughts are with Gerry's family – including his daughters Rachel Talbot Ross, Maine's first Black Speaker of the House and current state senator, and Regina Philips of the Portland City Council. Gerry's leadership, kindness, patience, and steadfast commitment will continue to inspire us all.