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V O L . X X V I N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 0 18 L AW T his year's horrific racial violence across the nation prompted corporate and philanthropic leaders in Maine to raise $270,000 to establish a new pro- gram called the Racial Justice Fund, designed to combat racial injustice and inequity throughout Maine. As a program of the Maine Justice Foundation, the fund's goal is to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and to forge social, systemic and economic solutions to combat racism in Maine's culture, organizations and systems. "A critical dialogue about race discrimination is occurring across our nation and state, in our workplaces and inside our homes," says Michelle Draeger, executive director of the Maine Justice Foundation. "It is before us as a result of countless public acts of violence against Black Americans who are engaging in the simple pursuit of daily liberties – watching birds in a park, jogging in the afternoon, sitting in a car, simply trying to breathe. "Fundamental change is necessary if we finally want to become a country where every citizen is afforded the freedom of liberty and equal justice, without regard to differences in race. As an institution concerned with equal access to the legal system, the foundation has F O C U S Michelle Draeger is executive director of the Maine Justice Foundation, which established a Racial Justice Fund with $270,000 in donations from corporate and philanthropic leaders across Maine. The fund will support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in initiatives to combat racial injustice and inequity. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Founded in 1983 as the Maine Bar Foundation, the Maine Justice Foundation is the state's leading funder of civil legal aid for poor and vulnerable Mainers. Racial Justice Fund T he Racial Justice Fund will support education and advo- cacy to achieve racial justice and equity and eliminate rac- ism. Grants will go to qualified organizations for programs to: Identify implicit bias and systemic racism in our culture, organizations and systems; Engender productive dialogue that will serve as a foundation for creating systems, laws and organizational culture devoid of racial disparity; Implement racially equitable programs, pro- cesses, education and systems throughout society, including the legal system, healthcare, education, workplace, courts and housing. Founders The Racial Justice Fund's founders are AARP Maine, Androscoggin Bank, AT&T, Baker Newman Noyes, Bangor Savings Bank, Bernstein Shur, Central Maine Power, Cross Insurance, Deighan Wealth Advisors, Drummond Woodsum, Eaton Peabody, F.L. Putnam Investment Management Company, Gorham Savings Bank, HM Payson, Hancock Lumber, Hannaford Supermarkets, Harvard Pilgrim, Northern Light Health, Pierce Atwood, Preti Flaherty, RM Davis, Verrill, Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. Fundamental CHANGE Racial Justice Fund seeks to combat racial injustice and inequity B y L a u R i e s C h R e i B e R

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