Maine legislation · 132nd Legislature
Maine SP901: JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 2026 AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY
Status: Introduced, February 24, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text:
STATE OF MAINE _____ IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX _____ JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 2026 AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY WHEREAS, Maine's Black history and the story of Maine's role in the global economy of enslavement have been largely effaced from our narratives and from our collective consciousness; and WHEREAS, from the earliest arrivals of people from Europe and Africa in the Americas, Africans and African Americans have been part of the story of this land, and researchers have identified over 2,000 people of color who lived in what is now called the State of Maine prior to the year 1800; and WHEREAS, Africans who were brought involuntarily to these shores suffered generations of enslavement, and their descendants faced the injustices of lynch mobs, segregation and the denial of basic fundamental rights; and WHEREAS, people living in Maine engaged in the slave trade for at least 113 years, with the earliest known slaving voyage departing from Maine's shores taking place in 1749 and the last known slaving voyage on a Maine-built vessel taking place in 1862; and WHEREAS, a total of 70 Maine-built vessels are known to have transported enslaved people, representing only the tip of the iceberg, and slaving vessels were constructed in at least 26 Maine towns; and WHEREAS, Maine merchants …
Sponsors
- Rachel Talbot Ross (D, 28) · primary sponsor
- Mana Abdi (D, 95)
- DeBrito, Flavia (D)
- Deqa Dhalac (D, 120)
- Jill Duson (D, 27)
- Craig Hickman (D, 14)
- Rafael Macias (D, 51)
- Ambureen Rana (D, 21)
- Eleanor Sato (D, 109)
- Yusuf Yusuf (D, 118)
Latest actions
- : READ and ADOPTED. ROLL CALL NO. 624(Yeas 100 - Nays 10 - Absent 38 - Excused 1 - Vacant 2)In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- : On motion by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland READ and ADOPTED.Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence.
Common questions
- What is SP901?
- SP901 is a bill in the Maine Legislature (132nd Legislature): JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 2026 AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY.
- What is the status of SP901?
- Introduced as of February 24, 2026. Latest action: READ and ADOPTED. ROLL CALL NO. 624(Yeas 100 - Nays 10 - Absent 38 - Excused 1 - Vacant 2)In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (February 24, 2026).
- Who sponsored SP901?
- Rachel Talbot Ross (D, 28), with 9 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SP901?
- On the Maine Legislature website: https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=0&snum=132
Source: official Maine record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.