PORTLAND, Maine — Vana Carmona has spent the better part of the past decade digging into Maine's ties to slavery.
It's an obsession that stems from making her own discovery about her family tree nearly a decade ago: her family enslaved at least seven people of color over the years.
Over the past 10 years, Carmona has uncovered even more families in the Portland area and beyond that once owned slaves. She said many people told her Maine was never home to enslavers.
"I'm so surprised at how many people I'm still finding, it's just astounding," Carmona said in an interview last year. "This was always so under the radar, people didn't consider this of any importance."
Carmona officially launched the nonprofit The Prince Project last year. She's working to get her research into an online database that would be available to the masses. This summer, Carmona is giving guided tours through Eastern Cemetery in Portland that focus specifically on the city's ties to slavery. You can learn more by emailing info@princeproject.org.
She stopped by the 207 studio to give an update on her research nonprofit, share about her recent trips overseas, and spread the word about her walking tours this summer. Watch the full 207 segment above to learn about what Carmona calls the "doors of no return."