University of Maine commences Black History Month with raising of BLM flag
The University of Maine raised a Black Lives Matter flag on campus to mark the beginning of Black History Month, which was organized by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
The event faced criticism on Facebook, with various users expressing disappointment and questioning the university’s support for the far-left organization.
On Feb. 1, the University of Maine raised a “Black Lives Matter” flag on its Orono campus to celebrate the beginning of February as Black History Month.
The ceremony was hosted by the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), which, according to its website, “serves as a vital and integral resource for students and employees in the areas of equity, inclusion, and diversity.”
In a Feb. 2 Facebook post, the school shares a picture of the flag raising, with the flag placed immediately outside the university bookstore. “Yesterday, the UMaine Community celebrated the start of Black History Month with the annual raising of the Black Lives Matter flag in the Memorial Union,” the post reads.
[RELATED: K-12 classrooms wave flags of pro-terrorist organization]
Facebook users quickly posted critical responses to the raising of the BLM flag displayed prominently on Maine’s campus.
“So disappointed that UMaine chose to hoist the flag of a corrupt corporation who publicly supports terrorists,” Facebook user Amy Rebecca wrote. “There are thousands of different ways you could’ve chosen to support Black History Month, but instead you chose this. How do you think this will make your student body targeted by this group feel? So much for DEI.”
Another Facebook user named Elizabeth Ann commented on the post: “Considering the imprisonment of several of the founders of the BLM foundation for their siphoning of funds, there are much better ways to uplift and support the Black community for Black history month. A flag that supports this contentious organization is incongruous to the genuine support of Black history month.”
ODI, which organized the flag-raising, states on its website that it is committed to supporting “historically underrepresented identities, including but not limited to sexuality, race, gender identity, spirituality, ethnicity, ability, religion, nationality, socio-economic status, and others.”
ODI at the University of Maine also offers three centers: the “Rainbow Resource Center,” the “Intersectional Feminist Resource Center,” and the “Multicultural Resource Center.”
According to the web page, “The Rainbow Resource Center (RRC) empowers and increases the visibility of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people by promoting equality and inclusiveness at the University of Maine.”
Amid criticism in 2020, BLM famously deleted its desire to “disrupt” the “Western-prescribed nuclear family” from its website.
Other states, including Florida, have moved to prohibit displays of political flags on public school property, as Campus Reform has previously reported.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Maine and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
