Portland Schools Teach Maine's Black History
Students in grades 6 and up now learn Maine-specific African American history, and the program expands to younger grades next year.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Portland Public Schools has rolled out a first-of-its-kind African American studies curriculum focused on Maine history, covering topics from African civilizations to Abolition and Reconstruction. The district plans to expand it to grades K through five next year.
Why it matters
For Portland families, the curriculum changes what local students learn about the history of their own city and state, which before this had little classroom material specific to Maine or New England. The impetus came from the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, and the district built the program through a six-year process with educators, historians, and longtime members of Portland's Black community.
The curriculum is for grades 6 and up and is being rolled out now, with expansion to grades K through five planned for next year. It was developed over a six-year process before the 2026 rollout.
The players
Portland Public Schools
The Portland district that developed and is rolling out the first-of-its-kind Maine African American studies curriculum for grades 6 and up.
Bob Greene
A Portland community member who traced his lineage in Cumberland County's Black community back to 1783 and whose lesson on the Freedom Trail plaque at Eastern Cemetery was part of the curriculum.
Samuel James
The presenter of an Indigo Arts Alliance session that seventh graders attended in October 2026 as part of the curriculum.
The details
The district convened an advisory group of educators, historians, and longtime members of Portland's Black community to shape the lessons. Topics include African civilizations, Abolition and Reconstruction, the story of Ona Judge, who escaped slavery on George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation, and Maine's expulsion of the multiracial community on Malaga Island. In one lesson, seventh graders followed the city's Freedom Trail, which marks Black history sites including many associated with the Underground Railroad.
Timeline
2020: The Black Lives Matter movement prompted development of the curriculum.
October 2026: Seventh graders attended an Indigo Arts Alliance session with Samuel James.
2026: The curriculum rolled out for grades 6 and up.
Next year (2027): The district plans to expand the curriculum to grades K through five.
The Home Front
The curriculum reflects a broader shift in which school systems have been asked to add local history to their classrooms, and Portland's program is described as the first of its kind in Maine. For families, it is one example of how local schools are reshaping what children learn about the communities they live in.
If your child is in grades 6 or up in Portland Public Schools, ask the school which units of the African American studies curriculum are being taught and how families can see the materials. If you have younger children, watch for the planned 2027 expansion to grades K through five and ask how it will be introduced.
The takeaway
Local history is one of the few school subjects that families can explore on their own, so a walk along the Freedom Trail can extend what children learn in class. Keep the district's rollout schedule on your calendar so you know when the program reaches your child's grade.
What happens next
The district plans to expand the curriculum to grades K through five next year, which will bring the program to younger students in 2027.
Further reading
For more on how Portland schools are teaching local history, see Secondary Education in our education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Connecticut Public.
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