In recognition of Black History Month, the University of Maine School of Law will host a discussion with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Friday, February 25, 2022. Ellison will present his talk, “The Death of George Floyd and Breaking the Cycle of Inaction,” at 5:30 pm at The South Portland Auditorium, located at South Portland High School, 637 Highland Ave. Attendees are invited to participate in a Q&A session following the presentation.
As attorney general, Ellison led the team that successfully convicted Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on the charge of the second-degree unintentional murder of George Floyd. Ellison began his term as Attorney General of Minnesota in 2019. He is the first African American and first Muslim American elected to statewide office in Minnesota. Prior to his election as attorney general, Ellison served in the United States House of Representatives from 2007-2019 where he championed consumer, worker, environmental, civil, and human rights protections.
“I am pleased to have the opportunity to visit the great state of Maine and further the essential discussion of the role of attorneys general in criminal and civil justice reform, and to talk with the new generation of law students about the complexities and demands of prosecuting in highly publicized trials,” Ellison said.
“Maine Law has always played a central role in the preservation and advancement of law and justice within our state, and we are pleased to welcome Attorney General Ellison into that conversation,” Leigh Saufley, Dean of the University of Maine School of Law, said.
Recently elected South Portland Mayor Deqa Dhalac made combatting racism in law enforcement and throughout the community a cornerstone of her campaign, work that she now continues as mayor. “South Portland and the wider community are not immune to systemic issues of racism. Inviting Attorney General Ellison to our city offers us the opportunity to benefit from his experience,” she said.
The talk is open to the public although space will be limited to 50 percent capacity due to COVID-19 safety protocols. Attendees must show a valid COVID-19 vaccination card and be masked to enter the auditorium. The talk will also be live-streamed online. Online and in-person registration for the event can be found here: https://bit.ly/3IBPKHX.
For further information about the event please contact:
Emma Ea Ambrose, emma.ambrose@maine.edu, 207-780-4217.
