Welcome to the “We Exist“ exhibit. In this section, we have digitized photo views of various Black residents in Maine in activities related to education and employment. The photos cover the period from the 1800s to the 1970s. The photos are wide-ranging and represent Black residents participating in school photos, engaging in various school activities, and participating in events that are historically connected to the push to make education more equitable to Black people in Maine. There are also photos that show Maine’s Black residents in their various occupations ranging from laborer to state public servant. The photos will also depict not just Black individuals, but Black families, as they interact with each other in the school environment and the work environment.

To view the photos and related data individually, you can click on the image. The individual photo entry page will provide a photo title, photo description, and the Collection that the photo is attached to. Additional keywords attached to the photo and exhibit are searchable by typing the search terms into the search bar in the upper left of the page.