Portland Schools Launch African American Studies Curriculum
The district's first-of-its-kind Maine-focused curriculum covers topics from African civilizations to Abolition and Reconstruction.
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, now being taught to grades 6 and up. The district plans to expand the curriculum to grades K through five next year.
Why it matters
Existing classroom materials on national and international history were largely not specific to Maine or New England, leaving local connections unaddressed. The curriculum was developed after the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 prompted a call for more localized history instruction.
The curriculum was developed over six years with an advisory group of educators, historians, and longtime members of Portland's Black community. Its content includes lessons on Ona Judge, who escaped slavery at Mount Vernon, and on Maine's expulsion of the multiracial community on Malaga Island.
The players
Portland Public Schools
The Portland school district is the public school system that developed and is rolling out the first-of-its-kind Maine African American studies curriculum.
Samuel James
Samuel James led a lesson for seventh graders at the Indigo Arts Alliance studio as part of the curriculum's classroom programming.
Bob Greene
Bob Greene is a Portland community member who traced his lineage in Cumberland County's Black community back to 1783 and shared that history in a lesson at Eastern Cemetery.
The details
Seventh graders learned Black history by following the city's Freedom Trail, which marks sites including many associated with the Underground Railroad. Lessons also covered local ancestry, including Bob Greene's account of tracing his lineage in Cumberland County's Black community back to 1783.
Timeline
2020: The Black Lives Matter movement prompts development of the curriculum.
Six-year period before 2026: The district develops the curriculum with its advisory group.
October 2026: Seventh graders attend an Indigo Arts Alliance session with Samuel James.
2026: The curriculum rolls out for grades 6 and up.
2027: The district plans to expand the curriculum to grades K through five.
Season Trajectory
The curriculum follows the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, which pushed many school systems to revisit how they teach race and local history. Portland's effort extends that national reckoning into Maine-specific classroom material that did not previously exist.
Portland students in grades 6 and up are now learning Maine-specific Black history, including the Freedom Trail and local ancestry. Families across the city will see the curriculum extend to younger grades starting next year.
The takeaway
Teaching history through local places and families can make the past feel closer to home for students. Parents and educators interested in similar approaches can look for ways to connect national events to the communities where students live.
What happens next
The district plans to expand the curriculum to grades K through five next year.
Further reading
For more on how schools teach local history, explore Secondary Education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Connecticut Public.
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