Juneteenth celebrations are going on across Maine
Published June 18, 2023 at 9:55 AM EDT
Juneteenth Downeast is holding a Weekend on the Water at Lamoine State Park for Black and Indigenous people of color to try sailing, fishing, and hiking on the coast of Maine.
Co-chair of the Juneteenth Downeast Advisory Board Janine Georgette says Black people have historically not had access to water sports and recreation.
"We wanted to make sure that we had access to it, but a lot of us don't. For a variety of reasons, systemic racism, for one. The fact that Black people don't have access to swimming pools in this country means a lot of us don't swim. It's hard to feel comfortable on the water if you don't feel safe there," Georgette said.
Georgette says while organizers can't teach participants to swim in one day they have set up a program at the Ellsworth Y to offer swimming lessons to people of color.
This is the first Weekend on the Water event and more than 100 people are participating. It's free and sponsored by Healthy Acadia, with additional support from the Good Shepard Food Bank, Outdoor Equity Fund, Maine Initiatives, and Nature-Based Education Consortium.