[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 187 (Monday, October 25, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF GERALD E. TALBOT, MAINE'S FIRST BLACK 
                               LEGISLATOR

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                          HON. CHELLIE PINGREE

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 25, 2021

  Ms. PINGREE. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor my constituent, 
Gerald E. Talbot, who is celebrating his 90th birthday this year and 
who I wish to recognize for his instrumental role in advancing civil 
and human rights in Maine and across the nation.
  After serving in the U.S. Army, Gerry Talbot's activism was sparked 
when he participated in voter registration drives and was among only a 
handful of Mainers at the historic 1963 March on Washington, after 
which he became the founding president of the Portland, Maine, chapter 
of the NAACP. In that role, he helped pass the Maine Fair Housing Bill 
and the Maine Human Rights Act. As the state's first African American 
legislator, Gerry fought for a state holiday honoring Martin Luther 
King, Jr; and championed issues not traditionally addressed at the 
time, ranging from gun control and protections for migrant workers to 
fair housing and tribal sovereignty. In 1977, he sponsored Maine's 
first gay rights legislation.
  Throughout his life, Gerry Talbot has worked to educate people about 
the Black experience. As an avid collector of books, posters, 
photographs, and other artifacts, as well as personal papers and 
records, he has helped document Black history in Maine and throughout 
the country. In 2006, he co-authored Maine's Visible Black History: The 
First Chronicle of its People. A sought-after speaker, Gerry generously 
shared access to his historical memorabilia wherever he went, and in 
order to inform generations to come, he donated it to the African 
American Collection of the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity at 
the University of Southern Maine.
  In Maine, public service and a commitment to others is the backbone 
of our communities, and Gerry Talbot is a shining example of these 
important values and commitments. Schools and parks have been named in 
his honor, and honorary degrees have been awarded. Today I am 
privileged to recognize his (or Gerald E. Talbot's) contributions to my 
state by entering his story into the official record of our great 
nation.

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