On Sunday, a labor delegation with members of IBEW 2327, IBEW 1837, UFCW 1445 and the Portland Longshoremen (ILA 861) attended a tour of Portland’s Abyssinian Meeting House, the third oldest Black church in America. The historic church was a center of anti-slavery organizing, a station on the Underground Railroad and hosted numerous leading abolitionist speakers like Frederick Douglass in the 19th century.
A lot of restoration work has already been done to repair the building after many years of neglect, but more work still needs to be done. Last year, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree helped secure $1.7 million in the federal budget appropriation to restore the Abyssinian Meeting House. However, after the budget was revised, it was discovered that the Abyssinian still needs another million dollars to complete the project. If you would like to support the restoration of this incredibly valuable landmark of African American and labor history, please donate here.