Insights from Central Maine: Bridging History and Humanity
Acknowledgement:
Before diving into the content, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the amazing work of our longtime co-facilitator, Regina Phillips. This project, along with many others we’ve worked on together, is a true collaboration. Regina’s insights, expertise, and dedication are integral to bringing so much of this work to life. We’re deeply grateful to continue working alongside Regina and her team on these projects.
Right now, conversations about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are being shut down across the country. Funding is being cut, people are losing their jobs, and the work of reckoning with history is being framed as unnecessary or divisive. But DEI work is not a political trend—it’s about humanity. And the truth is, the United States is still trying to fully embrace the humanity of all people.
We see this reality in our work, particularly in central Maine, where people are hardworking, deeply connected to family and place. The median household income in many areas of central Maine hovers around $50,000, with a significant percentage of people living below the poverty line. Many are balancing multiple jobs and grappling with the rising cost of living. Despite this, there’s a strong belief in fairness, in hard work, and in the idea that if you do your best and treat everyone equally, things are more or less okay.
But when we start digging into history, it becomes clear that the system wasn’t designed to work for most people—it was designed to benefit a few.
The Foundations of the United States: A Series of Choices
One of the most powerful moments in our sessions is when we debunk the myth of race as a biological reality and explain that there is no "race gene." Instead, we explore how race is a social construct—an invention tied directly to the history of the United States. Race, as we know it, was created to justify the unequal treatment of different groups. It was never a biological fact but a social and political tool to divide and control. This realization opens the door to a deeper conversation about how the U.S. shaped identity, social structures, and power relationships, using race as a central divider.
We then look at key moments in U.S. history, examining how race, class, and power were deliberately shaped to keep people divided. At some point, someone in every session says, "So this is all about power." And we respond, "Yes."
The next question often arises: “Where does this come from?”
A pivotal “aha” moment is when people recognize that the dominant power structure in the U.S. has been built on the idea of Power Over—the belief that power is a limited resource to be seized, controlled, and used to dominate others. This mindset did not originate in the U.S.; it was brought here by European settlers who viewed land, people, and resources as things to be owned and controlled. They didn’t arrive and suddenly decide to take land—they came with that intent, carrying systems of monarchy, conquest, and exploitation, and they recreated those systems on this land.
We also explore that Power With—the concept of power as something shared, which grows through collaboration and mutual support—exists in many cultures. Many Indigenous communities in North America operate with this understanding, centered on reciprocity, collective decision-making, and balance.
The History We Need to Know
To dismantle systemic inequality, we first need to understand its origins. Our journey begins in the 1600s, a time when early colonial leaders faced a serious dilemma: poor white indentured servants and enslaved Africans were uniting against their shared exploitation. In response, colonial laws, like the Virginia Slave Codes of 1705, were enacted to create division. These laws granted white people certain privileges while ensuring that Black people were permanently enslaved. This was no accident. It was a strategic move to keep poor white workers just comfortable enough to prevent them from recognizing their common struggles with Black people, ensuring that the elite could maintain control and power.
From there, we trace the roots of inequality through the founding of the United States. The Constitution was never designed to serve all people equally. The Three-Fifths Compromise, the Fugitive Slave Act, and other policies enshrined racial and economic inequality into law.
We then explore the post-Civil War periods of Reconstruction and Jim Crow, when Black Americans briefly gained political power, only to have it violently stripped away. These efforts were part of a broader pattern of excluding marginalized groups from power and opportunity.
The history doesn't stop there. We examine the discriminatory practices of the Immigration Act and the forced relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II through internment camps. We also look at the War on Drugs, which disproportionately targeted Black communities, and the practice of redlining, which systematically denied Black families the opportunity to build wealth through homeownership—an advantage that many white families, including those in central Maine, were granted.
Finally, we connect this history to the present day. How have these historical policies shaped the world we live in now? Why do economic struggles persist, even in predominantly white areas? Why have we been conditioned to view racial equity as a threat, rather than an opportunity to challenge the real source of economic hardship—systems that concentrate power and wealth at the top?
Connecting Across Differences
At the beginning of these sessions, many people are skeptical. Some are defensive. But as we go deeper, something shifts for most. They start to see the patterns. They begin making connections between their own family experiences and the broader history of economic and racial division in this country. Instead of shutting down or walking away, many participants want more—they realize that what they were taught in school was only part of the story.
This process fosters a deeper understanding of our shared humanity. As adrienne maree brown writes in Loving Corrections, “We need each other.” This simple truth speaks to the heart of what we’re trying to do. Humans are inherently social, and we rely on one another to thrive, even across differences. In a time when divisions seem to be growing, especially around race, politics, and identity, building connections based on empathy and mutual respect is more vital than ever. Co-facilitator Regina Phillips, beautifully states in each session, “If you don’t remember anything we are doing here, you’ll remember the conversations you had with one another.”
Rather than getting lost in judgment, we learn to hold space for one another—creating opportunities to listen and understand each other’s experiences. This approach opens the door to collective growth and healing, where people see beyond the surface to recognize the humanity in others, and together, we imagine new possibilities for the future.
Moving Forward
One thing we’ve learned in this work is that many white people simply haven’t been given access to the full history of how we got here. That lack of knowledge isn’t their fault—but once they see the truth, it becomes their responsibility to do something with it. As our friends Dr. Zoe Spencer and Taylor Paul, our racial equity advisors for one of the projects we are working on at Conscious Revolution, often say, “Get off the porch and get your people.” This means we can’t sit in comfort while others do the work of making change. It means taking responsibility for unlearning myths and breaking down the systems that harm us all.
There’s no clear roadmap for what comes next. But what’s happening in Central Maine gives us hope to keep doing this work with all those alongside us. People are asking tough questions. They are realizing that the stories they were told about American greatness were only part of the truth. And the more people are willing to face history, the more they are able to imagine something different for the future. Knowing history is the first step to dismantling what needs to be dismantled—and building something new, something more conscious.
Building Toward a Purposeful Future
At Conscious Revolution, we believe the work goes far beyond the DEI acronym and remains centered on the importance of the work, regardless of political perception. We continuously ask ourselves—what are we doing in this time to be of greatest service and the most useful with who we are as an organization and a team? As a white women-owned, operated, and led organization, we don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we are clear that the work we’re doing is part of something much bigger. While we don’t know exactly what the future holds, we are committed to building toward something new—something that centers consciousness, interconnection, and shared responsibility with millions of others who are in this with us. Our vision looks beyond individual gain, beyond cognitive understanding, and toward the health of the Earth and the well-being of all beings, human and non-human alike. It’s a future where we challenge inherited systems of oppression both in the world around us and internalized within our own bodies, heal the harm done, and create spaces where everyone can thrive in balance with the world around us.
Even if DEI funding or initiatives are reduced, or if the conversation becomes harder, our commitment to this work is unwavering. We recognize that some departments and nonprofits face greater challenges than we do in our small operation at Conscious Revolution, and we will continue to shift and adapt as needed to meet the times and keep this work alive. The landscape may change, but our purpose remains the same—creating alternative futures that are more conscious and inclusive for all. As Georges Erasmus, a Dene leader, so wisely said: “Where common memory is lacking, where people do not share in the same past, there can be no real community.” And in Central Maine, we’re starting to build that community—one conversation, one connection at a time.
