Gerald Talbot was a true Mainer

Gerald Talbot at his home in Portland remembers marching and hearing Martin Luther King Jr. speak in 1963. (2013) by John Patriquin/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

On May 6th, Maine lost one of her best when activist, veteran, and former state legislator Gerald Talbot passed away at the age of 94.

Born on October 28th, 1931, Talbot, an eighth generation Mainer and Bangor native, was a descendant of the black Revolutionary War veteran veteran Abraham Talbett, and followed in his ancestor's footsteps by fighting for freedom and dignity.

After serving in the United States Army, he became a prolific member of the Civil Rights movement of the mid-20th century. He attended the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his monumental "I Have a Dream" speech, and the next year became a founding member of the Portland chapter of the NAACP, which he served as the first president of. His activism was instrumental in the passing of the Maine Fair Housing Bill in 1965 and other feats of housing justice in the state.

In 1972, Talbot was the first Black person to be elected to the Maine legislature, where he was a champion of economic justice, LGBT rights, and indigenous sovereignty. He served three terms and left the legislature in 1978.

Maine's state motto is "the way life should be," which is not entirely true. As Talbot once said, "we've come a long distance. And we've got a long distance to go." There is still much work to be done in order for the state to live up to her motto. Gerald Talbot dedicated his life to doing just that, and Mainers should honor his memory by doing the same.

His legacy is carried on by his two daughters, State Senator Rachel Talbot Ross and Portland City Councilor Regina Phillips.