ORONO — Abdi Nor Iftin, a prominent author, journalist and advocate for immigrants, will be the featured speaker at the 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Breakfast at the University of Maine.

Hosted by the Greater Bangor Area (GBA) Branch of the NAACP, the event will take place Monday, Jan. 20, at 8:30 a.m., at UMaine’s Wells Conference Center. Tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/bde43wxy. 

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Iftin is a survivor of famine, civil war and the dangers of child soldiering. As a teenager, Iftin became a citizen journalist, sharing his story through NPR’s “Messages from Mogadishu,” which was later featured on BBC and in an award-winning episode of “This American Life.” His memoir, Call Me American, vividly chronicles his journey from Somalia to Kenya and, ultimately, to the United States. 

The memoir, which has garnered prestigious accolades including Maine’s Lupine Award, showcases Iftin's ability to capture the human spirit amidst adversity. His work has been featured in major national outlets such as CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Now based in Yarmouth, Iftin serves as a communications specialist at Church World Service, where he uses his platform to amplify the voices of immigrants and refugees. In addition to his advocacy work, he contributes regularly to Maine Public Radio, the Portland Press Herald, and The Forecaster. He has also gained a global following as a popular podcaster within the Somali community.

Organized in the early 1960s, the GBA Branch NAACP is an all-volunteer, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the eradication of racism in all its forms. It is the only nationally recognized civil-rights organization in Central and Northern Maine. 

About the University of Maine: 

As Maine’s only public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, the University of Maine advances learning and discovery through excellence and innovation. Founded in 1865 in Orono, UMaine is the state’s land, sea and space grant university with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. Our students come from all over the world and work with faculty conducting fieldwork around the globe — from the North Atlantic to the Antarctic. Located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation with UMaine Machias located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation, UMaine’s statewide mission is to foster an environment that creates tomorrow’s leaders. As the state’s flagship institution, UMaine offers nearly 200 degree programs through which students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, professional master’s and doctoral degrees as well as graduate certificates. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu/about/quick-facts/ and machias.edu/about-umm/umm-facts/.