Sheriff Resigns After Racist Remarks About Black Employees Unearthed
It sure wasnt progressive.
Allstate and Progressive are severing ties with a Maine insurance company after it posted a racistsign on Juneteenth and triggered backlash on social media.
The heinous saga was set in motion after the Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency posted an offensive placard on their door in which they bellyached about being shuttered on June 19, or Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US.
Juneteenth. Its whatever Were closed. Enjoy your fried chicken and collard greens, the sordid sign read.
Needless to say, the off-color gag sparked ire on Twitter, with one poster, @C1976George, calling out Allstate and Progressive for collaborating with the insurance firm.
Is that an @Allstate logo on the bottom right? the incredulous user fumed. Bet they also do @progressive. Is this the type of hatred you want posted right next to your company logo?
Needless to say, the message didnt jibe with the companiescodes of conduct, as both agencies have reportedly since killed their partnerships with Harry E. Reed, according to WGME.
We are terminating our contract with this independent agent,. Our commitment to Inclusive Diversity and Equity is non-negotiable and we take action when individuals violate our code of conduct.
The rep added, The sign is in direct violation of that commitment and doesnt align with our companys Core Values and Code of Conduct.
Progressive Allstate Dump Insurance Agency After Racist Af Juneteenth Sign
An insurance agency in Millinocket, Maine, posted a hateful sign to explain its closure for , inviting outrage and prompting the Progressive and Allstate insurance companies to sever ties with the office.
A sign behind the window of Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency read: Juneteenth its whatever … Were closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens.
The racism in Millinocket is real, wrote a woman who posted a photo of the sign on Monday, when financial markets, post offices and many businesses closed for the national holiday.
Steve Golieb, chair of the Millinocket Town Council, said in a statement on Tuesday that the sign was saddening and disgraceful.
There is no place in the Town of Millinocket for such a blatant disregard of human decency, Golieb wrote.
Progressive spokesperson Jeff Sibel said the insurer was appalled and was terminating our relationship with the agency, CNBC reported.
Allstate also ended its contract with Reed, NPR reported.
Editorial/costly Sign: Maine Insurance Agency Learns About Social Media Serves As A Lesson For Others
Every once in a while there’s an object lesson for everyone across the land, even those of us here in the Twin Cities.
Whatever you want to say about it, it’s something no thinking person would do.
On Monday we celebrated Juneteenth, a federal holiday tracing its roots to Texas that has come to mark the emancipation of African Americans from slavery.
Federal offices and many business were closed that day, giving their employees a day off.
The Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency in Millinock, Maine, closed for the holiday as well. But at least one worker apparently wasn’t thrilled.
On the agency’s door was posted a sign that read, “Juneteenth. It’s whatever … we’re closed. Enjoy your fried chicken and collard greens.”
No, we aren’t kidding.
Well, the sign quickly made its way to social media. And, as anyone with a lick of sense could predict, the firestorm started. The comments flew and even the town itself publicly condemned the sign.
The employee who made and posted the sign apologized on the agency’s Facebook page, claiming the sign was a poor attempt at humor and that she wrote it quickly following a death in the family. She also noted she had been reprimanded.
No one was mollified and the damage was done. In the wake of the controversy, both Progressive and Allstate terminated their partnerships with the Harry E. Reed Insurance. So it’s going to put a dent in the agency’s bottom line.
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Allstate Progressive Cut Ties With Insurance Agency That Posted Insensitive Juneteenth Sign
MILLINOCKET, Maine – A Maine insurance agency has lost partners because of a Juneteenth sign.
Progressive and Allstate have terminated their relationships with the Harry E. Reed insurance agency in Millinocket after the company posted a sign on its window.
Juneteenth. Its whatever…Were closed…Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens, the sign stated in
WABI also reports employee Melanie Hansen-Higgins identified herself as the person behind the sign She stated she was reprimanded by her employer.
I would like to publicly apologize for any misunderstanding and hurt that has arisen out of my usual, snarky office closure signs and content, she said.
The employee stated she has posted other signs for holiday closures in attempts at humor.
The town, which is located about three hours north of Portland, released a statement calling the sign deeply saddening, disgraceful and unacceptable.
Allstate and Progressive stated the sign violated their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group Inc. All rights reserved. CNN Newsource contributed to this report.
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Racist Juneteenth Sign At Maine Insurance Agency Prompts Outrage
A racist sign about Juneteenth hung on the front door of an insurance company in Millinocket, Maine, has prompted viral internet outrage, condemnation from town leaders and an apology from someone affiliated with the business.
The sign posted on the window of the Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency on Monday read, Juneteenth ~its whatever… We’re closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens.
The note was an explanation as to why the business was closed for Juneteenth, the nations newest federal holiday that has long been celebrated by Black Americans to commemorate the first emancipation of enslaved people in Texas in 1865.
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Maine Insurance Agencies Say Theyre Being Confused With Agency Facing Public Outrage For Juneteenth Sign
An employees of the Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency released a statement Wednesday apologizing for the hurt the sign caused.
MILLINOCKET, Maine – A family insurance agency in Millinocket is coming forward saying theyre being mixed up with another agency in town thats currently facing outrage for a sign displayed in their window over the weekend.
The owners of Millinocket Insurance Agency called TV5 Wednesday morning saying theyre receiving hateful phone calls from people all over the U.S. mixing them up with the Reed Agency.
The two businesses are located near each other on Penobscot Avenue in Millinocket.
The amount of calls theyre receiving is making it hard for them to do their job and service their customers.
People on social media have shared pictures of the sign that was posted on the door of the Reed Agency on Penobscot Avenue stating:Juneteenth its whatever… Were closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens.
The town manager tells TV5 that sign has since been removed.
Another business in Damariscotta called Reed Family Insurance Advisors has dealt with people thinking they are the business in question.
They posted the following statement on their website:
Millinocket Insurance Agency – an insurance agency that has been in business for over 100 years is coming forward, too.
We spoke with Lori Speed of the agency Wednesday morning.
Unlike the insurance agency in Damariscotta – Speed says they cannot leave an automated voice message.
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Maine Insurance Agency Facing Avalanche Of Criticism For Racist Juneteenth Sign
An insurance agency in Maine is facing an avalanche of criticism after it posted a sign on Juneteenth that told those celebrating the new federal holiday to enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens.
posted on the door of Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency in the town of Millinocket, Maine has been shared more than 11,000 times since Monday.
The full sign reads: Juneteenth, its whatever were closed. Enjoy your fried chicken and collard greens.
The sign drew widespread criticism from residents of the Maine town and from users online who noted it appeared to be mocking Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. It became an official federal holiday last year.
Steve Golieb, the chair of the Millinockett Town Council, condemned the sign on Tuesday, writing in a that it was deeply saddening, disgraceful and unacceptable for any person, business or organization to attempt to make light of Juneteenth and what it represents for millions of slaves and their living descendants.
There is no place in the Town of Millinocket for such a blatant disregard of human decency, Golieb wrote. The town does not accept or endorse anything short of inclusivity, and we invite any and all to come discover the wonderful things that our community offers.
Associating fried chicken with Black Americans is a common racist trope.
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Maine Agency Loses Three Carrier Appointments Over Juneteenth Statement On Storefront
June 28, 2022by AC Editor
A Maine-based independent insurance agency has lost three agency appointments in response to the actions of one its employees in posting a sign about the recent . According to the Bangor Daily News, an employee of the Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency based in Millinocket, Maine apparently posted this sign on the front door of the agency.
A passerby photographed the sign and posted it to social media, resulting in national media attention. In a subsequent article on NPR, a Progressive spokesperson told the outlet in an email that it was aware and appalled by the sign and was terminating its relationship with the agency. In particular, the company said it viewed the act as a violation of the companys commitment to its DEI policies.
In a June 23, 2022, follow-up to its article, the Bangor Daily News reported that, in addition to Progressive, two other carriers, Allstate and MMG Insurance, also announced the cancellation of their agency appointments with the agency.
In an Insurance Journal article on the incident, the reporter stated that the signs author, who is an employee of the agency, had posted an apology on her Facebook page, emphasizing that the owner of the agency had no prior knowledge of her posting the note. In addition, the Insurance Journal article stated that the employee further explained that she, herself, was multi-racial and not a racist.
2022 was the first year Juneteenth has been celebrated as a federal holiday in Maine.
Explaining The Historical Significance Of Juneteenth
Lisa Groelly, who photographed the sign, said she was at work when a co-worker called her and told her about it. Her initial reaction was disbelief, she said, so she went to the agency to see it for herself.
It was shocking, she said. I came back and I was talking to my co-worker about it, and we were really shocked. We were amazed at the sheer ignorance and stupidity of it.
Groelly sent the photos to her daughter, Alura Stillwagon, who on Monday with the caption, The racism in Millinocket is real. Anotherof the sign blew up on the social media website Reddit, with more than 2,000 upvotes.
A woman named Melanie Higgins took responsibility for the sign in a on Wednesday. She apologized for any misunderstanding and hurt caused by her usual, snarky office closure signs and content. Higgins, who said in the letter she is multiracial, said she understands the severity of intolerance and that the sign had a seemingly flippant tone.
I am so sorry for any pain I have caused and the negative attention it has brought to our beautiful community, Higgins wrote.
The outrage was so harsh that it prompted a different insurance agency in Maine with a similar name to issue a statement underscoring its lack of involvement with the incident.
In a statement Tuesday, the chair of the Millinocket Town Council, Steve Golieb, called any attempt to make light of Juneteenth and what the holiday represents deeply saddening, disgraceful and unacceptable.
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Maine Insurance Agency Faces Online Backlash After Racist Juneteenth Sign
- The Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency of Millinocket, Maine, is facing criticism for posting a racist sign on Juneteenth.
- Yelp disabled users’ ability to post on the company’s page.
- National insurer Progressive cut ties with the local affiliate.
An insurance agency in Millinocket, Maine, is facing online backlash after a photo circulated on Facebook of a sign taped to the business’s door on Monday saying, “Juneteenth ~it’s whatever… We’re closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens.”
The image of the sign at the Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency, an affiliate of national insurer Progressive, was originally shared by , with the caption, “The racism in Millinocket is real.” The original post has been shared more than 200 times, though a similar post by a different user has been shared more than 10,000 times.
“I’m not angry. Anger gets you nowhere. I’m just deeply, deeply disappointed,”. “In this business, in the companies that let this business broker their products, and in the town of Millinocket, in the state of Maine, and the whole damn country. Deeply disappointed. Why? Because I know we can do better. But we’re not trying. And that’s the part that cuts deepest.”
The insurance agency did not respond to CNBC’s requests for comment, but Melanie Higgins told News Center Maine she was the employee who posted the sign and apologized.
The agency received nearly 90 â largely one-star â Yelp reviews, with many posters condemning the insurance agency as “racist.”
Maine Insurance Company Receives Backlash After Posting Racist Juneteenth Sign
An insurance company in Millinocket, Maine, is receiving backlash online after it displayed a racist sign regarding Juneteenth, NPR reports.
Hey @Allstate isn’t the Harry E Reed Insurance agency in Millinocket, Maine an Allstate broker? Y’all support this?
Adam Wallace
Juneteenth ~its whatever Were closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens, the sign read in large letters.
The sign was posted on the front of Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency on Monday. Millinocket resident Alura Stillwagon posted a picture of the sign on Facebook.
The racism in Millinocket is real, she wrote in the caption.
Stillwagon told NPR that she first heard about the sign from her mother, Lisa Groelly, and that she was shocked.
I had to read it more than once because I thought it was something saw on Facebook. But when she said it was a business , I was immediately disgusted, Stillwagon told NPR. People have this idea that Maine isnt very racist and that its pretty liberal. But up north, its not like that at all.
Groelly said she learned about the sign from a friend. Like her daughter, she was appalled.
Im hoping that people will wake up and realize that this is not OK. People need to know their history, she said in an interview with NPR. They need to realize that there was a lot of suffering and that this holiday is warranted and its needed.
Some people called out Progressive, Reed Insurance Agencys affiliate, following news of the sign.
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Insurance Companies Sever Ties With Millinocket Firm After Racist Juneteenth Sign
Three major insurance companies have cut ties with a Millinocket firm amid the backlash over a racist sign left on its door on Juneteenth.
A spokesperson for Progressive told NPR that the company is appalled by the sign posted Monday at the Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency and called it a direct violation of the insurers commitment to diversity.
Allstate joined Progressive in ending its business with the Millinocket company, telling NPR that diversity, equity and inclusion are non-negotiable.
MMG Insurance, a regional agency founded in Houlton in 1897, said Wednesday it terminated its contract with Harry E. Reed Insurance, saying the Juneteenth sign is not consistent with the values and culture that guide our efforts for equality both within our Company and with those with which we do business.
We remain committed to fostering an environment of respect, that encourages inclusion, and models civility as we do our part in leading progress, the insurer said in a statement.
Insurance Companies End Relationship With Maine Agency After Racist Juneteenth Sign
Residents in the town of Millinocket, Maine, say they are outraged and disappointed after a local insurance agency displayed a racist sign remarking on the Juneteenth holiday. Progressive and Allstate are terminating their relationships with the agency, according to representatives of the insurance companies.
“Juneteenth ~it’s whatever… We’re closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens,” the sign stated in a large font. It was taped to the front of Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency in Millinocket on Monday. The small town sits about three hours outside Portland and some 50 miles away from the U.S.-Canada border.
An image of the racist sign was shared online Monday, gaining the attention of thousands across social media.
The insurance agency has faced heavy criticism online, with people leaving one-star reviews on and Yelp, some of which have since been removed.
One review written on Yelp says: “@Progressive – is this really a company that you want representing you? Or is Progressive a company that believes in racism?”
Progressive spokesperson Jeff Sibel wrote in an email that the company is “aware and appalled by the sign” and that it is terminating its relationship with the agency.
The Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency did not respond to NPR’s request for comment.
Millinocket resident Alura Stillwagon originally posted the image on with a caption reading, “The racism in Millinocket is real.”
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Maine Insurance Agency Receives Backlash After Posting Racist Juneteenth Sign
The sky is blue, water is wet and people in Maine are racist. The residents of Millinocket, Maine, said they were upset over a disparaging sign posted by Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency on Monday which read:
Juneteenth ~its whatever… Were closed. Enjoy your fried chicken & collard greens.
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Why be quiet when you can just be racist? And if youre so upset about , then why not just keep your business open instead of closing for it?Alura Stillwagon, who resides in Millinocket, posted the image on with a caption that said: The racism in Millinocket is real.
She shared her shock with NPR. I had to read it more than once because I thought it was something saw on Facebook. But when she said it was a business , I was immediately disgusted, Stillwagon said. People have this idea that Maine isnt very racist and that its pretty liberal. But up north, its not like that at all.
After intense online backlash, which included low reviews on Google and Yelp, a spokesperson for Progressive named Jeff Sibel wrote:
At Progressive, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are fundamental to our Core Values. Were committed to creating an environment where our people feel welcomed, valued and respected and expect that anyone representing Progressive to take part in this commitment. The sign is in direct violation of that commitment and doesnt align with our companys Core Values and Code of Conduct.