These young men catch more than lobsters. They also catch a break
Four Black teens are learning how to lobster in a new program called "Lift All Boats." Maine's seafood packing plants have a diverse workforce, but commercial fishing is mostly white.
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine is one of the least diverse states in the nation, and the fishermen in its famed lobster industry reflect that demographic reality. But this summer, a small group of Black young men started to learn the trade.
At 15, Cristiano Silva thought he might spend the summer working at a McDonald's near his home on the outskirts of Portland, Maine, and help with household expenses.
Instead, he found himself on a lobster boat called the Sea Smoke, out among Casco Bay's rocky islands. One breezy day on the boat last month, Cris scrunched his nose and placed a fist-size mesh bait bag full of smelly herring
