Courtesy Photo/South Portland Community Television

SOUTH PORTLAND — South Portland Public Library has announced a new initiative called South Portland Public Library Presents: Tapestry of Our Community.  

According to the library, “It will be an ongoing series that will explore the diverse stories, talents and traditions that make up the South Portland community.”

The first installment of the series is a talk by Seth Goldstein, his presentation is titled, Enslavement, the Underground Railroad and Abolition in Greater Portland. He will discuss African enslavement in the Portland area, the abolition movement, and the Underground Railroad routes through Maine to Canada.  

According to a library news release, “We intend for the collection to be broad in scope, encompassing our community’s past, present and future. We hope to tell the stories of individuals, groups and movements that have made – and continue to make – South Portland what it is. This will be a series where we share the stories, creative talents and cultural traditions that enrich our lives in South Portland.”

South Portland Public Library is working in partnership with South Portland Community Television. Every video from the series can be viewed through the library’s website, https://southportlandlibrary.com/portlands-african-diaspora/ .The series will also be shown regularly on the South Portland Community Television page, https://www.southportland.org/departments/spc-tv/