Mana Abdi became a Maine State House Representative for Lewiston in 2023. She is ethnically Somali and was born in Kenya, moving to Lewiston in 2009. She speaks about growing up in Lewiston, particularly as a part of the large and diverse immigrant community. She...
Divine Selengbe was born in Congo and has lived in Lewiston for 15 years. She speaks about growing up and working in the area, her family, and her community. She also talks about her religion and church, and the role that language plays in her life.
Deqa Dhalac was the country’s first Somali-American mayor. She moved to Lewiston by way of Atlanta, Georgia. She speaks extensively on community and her involvement with municipal employment and city politics. She also talks about the role of language in her...
Adilah Muhammad is a native of Decatur, Georgia. She moved to Maine in 2001. As a real estate investor, Adilah became interested in the role public policy was playing in the neighborhoods and communities in which she invested. She speaks about that work in addition to...
Abdul Mohamed is Somali-American. He was born in Atlanta and has lived in Lewiston since 2008. He speaks about the move to Lewiston and how it differs from Atlanta, the community he has found and made here, and the changes he has seen take place in Lewiston. Abdul...
