MAINE, Maine — When the world erupted in protest around the murder of George Floyd, Rose Barboza knew she wanted to do something. As a single mom with COVID concerns, she was reluctant to take to the streets and join in the protests. So, she created a nonprofit called Black Owned Maine with the idea of raising awareness about Black-owned businesses so that people can support these businesses throughout the state. She recognized that there was no public list or directory of these businesses. 

This marks the fourth time that the nonprofit has given out financial relief to families and people who need it during the pandemic.

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine has a shortage of stylists who know how to work on and style hair for Black women, men, and children. Rafiki Shop in Portland aims to change that.

The staff hopes to boost the number of stylists able to work with Black hair and bring more Black-owned businesses to our state.

So on a snowy Saturday night in Portland, dozens of people came to a Black hair show...