Uplift Chronicles Dec 2022 International District Edition

CHILDREN ARE INDEED OUR FUTURE

SAY YES TO KIDS CAMPAIGN WINS BIG IN 2022 NM MIDTERM ELECTIONS

There have been two consistent issues related to education in New Mexico for more than a decade. 1) New Mexico has either ranked last or very near the bottom in student academic achievement and child well-being in the United States, and 2) Advocates have been asking the Legislature to allow the voters to decide on a constitutional amendment to increase transfers from the Land Grant Permanent Fund from 5% annually to 6.25% to change the first constant.

On November 8, 2022, voters overwhelmingly said yes to the second constant. In a landslide victory, New Mexicans said yes to adding $250 million annually to New Mexico’s education coffers. It was an

uphill years-long battle. In the 2022 NM Legislature, advocates from New Mexico Voices for Children, OLÉ, and numerous other organizations and advocacy groups were successful in convincing the legislature to pass a bill allowing the constitutional amendment question to appear on the midterm election ballot. It passed with a 70% margin of victory.

Critics were concerned that this additional $250 million wouldn’t do much to change the educational landscape and that it might hurt the stability of the Permanent Fund. Currently, almost 80% (approximately $700 million) of the total fund dividends benefit K-12 education, and some detractors believed no more

money was needed. The fund itself is flush — $26 billion with annual increases of about 11%.

Grassroots organizers from across the State made the Say Yes to Kids Campaign sizzle with plain language messages that talked about more pay for teachers, better childcare for parents, mental health investments for students, and more programs for at-risk students. If, as critics of the amendment stated, we needed to protect our “rainy day” fund, advocates pointed to our children’s post-pandemic needs and said, “It’s raining, and we need to make these investments now.”

The victory is sweet for sure, but the actual work begins now. We can

stop talking about issue #2 now. Issue #1, however, is still there. We need more money, but we have a problem that money alone cannot solve. It will take all of us to secure our children’s future. We said Yes on November 8th, now it’s time to protect our children and this historic investment. Who’s in?

New Mexico Voices For Children Website

SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND…

On the day before Thanksgiving this year, I spent the morning at the Reality Based Testing Center for the Albuquerque Police Department. My team and I want to better understand the situations that Albuquerque Police Department officers face on a daily basis. The center is used by all APD officers and is, upon request, open to civilians. The APD occupies a portion of the National Guard Armory on Wyoming NE, and once you enter the building, you find yourself in several simulated situations–a bar, a child’s room, a gym, and outside for a traffic stop. We talked with the training officers and went through a presentation about the three levels of “use of force.” For those of us who wanted to, there was an opportunity to be in a potential situation where force might

be necessary to see what our responses would be. Would we use a weapon appropriate to the situation–a baton, a taser, a gun? What would we do when faced with a potential life or death situation?

AND THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD…

I didn’t choose to participate; I was strictly an observer for the day, and I watched my colleagues in situations with paid role players with fake deadly weapons. Truthfully, it was hard to watch and I tried to channel every bit of author Stephen Covey’s advice, when he wrote, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood…”

I get it. If someone is shooting at you or threatening to do so, as an officer, I am faced with a split-second decision to respond—to kill or be killed. I know that

I am not a good candidate for this job. I also know that I want all officers on the force to be held to the highest possible standard—to be trained to expertly defuse a dangerous situation and to check all biases at the door. I also want everyone to live in the situation–both the officer and the suspect. This is a tall order; some might even say it’s naïve. That said, it’s a worthy goal and one that we will only reach by taking Stephen Covey’s advice.

Stay tuned to this space for more information about the ongoing conversations with the Albuquerque Police Department about the use of force in the Q. Use the QR code to read about the latest information from the United States Department of Justice about the APD and the Consent Decree.

A Note From the NMBLC Director About Reality Based Testing with Albuquerque Police Department

Cathryn McGill, Founder/Director

If this was 2019 and we did a checklist of everything that we must have in our homes, probably 100% of us would agree that we need hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, and a phone of some kind (not a landline, but probably some kind of smartphone). These items were the pre-pandemic bare minimum basics. Fast forward to 2022, post-pandemic, and the basics must now include 24/7 access to affordable, high speed internet in every home. It’s no longer a nice-to-have; today in order to really be connected, it’s a must-have.

If you are a student at any level from pre-school to post graduate, if you require medical care of any kind, if you are looking for a job or you are currently employed, you need access to the internet and you need a good device. In our very first issue of the UpLift Chronicles, we told you that a smartphone gives you power in the palm of your hand—most of us have that these days. And that’s a good place to start, but in order to really connect, you need WiFi at home.

We partner with Comcast/Xfinity to help households get connected. Our partner and many others are working with the federal government

PARENT / GRADUATE / POWERHOUSE

Everybody, please meet Cindy De La Rosa, NMBLC’s Parent Expert with the Ascend Program at the Aspen Institute. The Aspen Institute’s stated aim is to create “a free, just, and equitable society” through policy programs, conferences, and leadership development. And the Ascend Program catalyzes policy and social impact leaders to help build generational wealth among populations in our community which are usually underserved in such important financial undertakings or who wouldn’t otherwise have access to such financial wealth-building means. Cindy, a graduate of Gordon Bernell Charter School, uses her experience as the young mom of a beautiful daughter with special needs to create a brighter future for both herself and her daughter. This past November at the Sandia Resort & Casino, the institute hosted Ascending Together: A Vision for Young Families in New Mexico where hundreds of leaders and young parents like Cindy convened to “explore opportunities and challenges” for “moving young families toward opportunity.” Ascend provides a space where Cindy’s voice can be heard by community workers and lawmakers. So, she is using her powerful voice to talk about the importance of being available to her daughter as an expert in her care. She’s also a coordinator of specialists helping to meet her daughter’s developmental goals. Ascend Coach Antionette Tellez-Humble praises Cindy’s efforts, stating, “Cindy is a powerhouse.” We can’t wait to see the effects of Cindy’s impact on how we support young parents of children with special needs as a community. We are so proud of her! Keep up the amazing work, Cindy!

to bring the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) into every home. You do need to fill out an application and you need to connect with a service provider like Comcast/Xfinity and we want to help you do it. Contact us at our UpLift program offices if you need help or if you have questions about this service.

Photo courtesy www.gordonbernell.org

COLDS DON’T TAKE A HOLIDAY

With the temperatures dropping, you know what happens. Cold/Flu season is just beginning and local hospitals are already filling up. Especially now that kids are back in school after pandemic restrictions, their bodies are getting exposed to viruses for the first time. And many are getting seriously ill as a result. Don’t forget, every year y’all would go get your flu shots, right? Well, don’t forget your COVID-19 vaccine, either! Take all these viruses seriously; they do what they want and all we can do is protect ourselves the best we can. Getting the flu and COVID19 vaccine can

■ help keep you from getting sick

■ lessen the severity of symptoms

■ reduce the need to go to the doctor or the hospital

■ help prevent spread of the illness or disease The City of Albuquerque is offering free COVID-19 and flu shots through the end of 2022.

PS: You can’t get vaccinated for RSV (Respiratory Synctial Virus) which is going ‘round especially with children. Care for RSV involves over-the-counter fever reducers and staying hydrated and in touch with your physician if needed.

WAIT? WHAT??? MORE VACCINES???

We know, we know–we are all a little vaccine fatigued. The COVID-19 vaccine has had several iterations and now it’s flu season and there’s more… The truth is the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has always had a recommended list of all of the vaccines you could/should have at various stages in life.

Children are often required to have vaccines to attend schools so we are used to that, but most adults are unaware of the list of other vaccines we are encouraged to get. The shingles and pneumonia vaccines are on the list. The Monkey Pox (MPX) vaccine is also recommended especially for men having sex with men. However, it should be noted that this is not a “gay” disease; anyone can get MPX.

Ask your pharmacist/doctor about the vaccines that would be best for you. The good news is that you don’t have to go back to the pharmacy 6 different times to get your vaccines because it’s safe to get multiple vaccines at once. And like Glamma Bibi of Uplift Initiative fame says, “When You Know Better, You Do Better.” If you didn’t know, NOW. YOU. KNOW.

Stay healthy and happy this holiday season!

HEART & SOUL

and a half plotting their business plan. “I would go to my straight gig every day. And then every night, we would meet up somewhere and just go to the woodshed.” Mike’s creative spark was back, almost like playing music again, and his and Jesse’s persistence paid off. Despite the 2008 global crash, and being rejected by “basically every bank in Albuquerque,” the duo leaned into their personal relationships, and funded the company through family and friends. Mike explained, “We’re a pretty cool case study in how you carry yourself and how what you do when nobody’s looking matters, right? The quality of your character matters. Who you are and how you treat people matters.”

And who is a “rude boy” and what’s the origin of the shop’s checkerboard patterns? Its backstory returned Mike to his musical roots. “A rude boy is heavily into ska music. I knew that life, that vibe, that culture; I knew that style.” The cookie shop’s logo is a dancing rude boy in typical gear. Mike felt it important to share with customers rude boy culture’s antiracist origins, in which working class Jamaican and white British musicians merged their sounds and formed the first ever mixed bands in the 1970s.

FROM

At four years old, Mike Silva was roaming through the streets of Los Angeles playing an accordion because his grandfather who loved ranchera wanted him to choose an instrument. “When we moved [to Albuquerque], I had a hard time finding an accordion instructor. So, I picked up the saxophone.”

After graduating from Del Norte High School, Mike attended UNM with a music mindset but graduated with a degree in political science intending to go to law school like his mother, Marsha Washington. He knew his “love of music was never going to go away,” but his creative passions instead pivoted to creating several thriving businesses in the Q–namely Rude Boy Cookies, a gourmet cookie shop, and Tour ABQ, a hugely popular tourist service which includes trolleys and party bikes. Creativity and tenacity have allowed Mike to flourish for years as the successful Black entrepreneur that he is.

In his 20s, Mike’s seven-piece ska band, Giant Steps, was “heavily involved in the [local] music scene,” but he lived a lean life, grateful to work summers as a well-paid camp counselor out in Massachusetts. As his 30s came up, along came Penimah Bernstein. “I knew I was in love with her,” he declared. The couple has been married 19 years and has a 10-year-old daughter, Ariella. As he grew into married life and the music biz began winding down, Mike knew he needed to get a “real job.” He got into hospitality and tourism for 15 plus years but after being unjustly fired from a job, Mike vowed to never work for anybody ever again. Six months later, he met Jesse Herron and started Tour ABQ. They spent a year

Mike and Jesse’s local pride buoyed their tourism sales. “In 2011, our bread-and-butter was putting people on the trolley and showing off Albuquerque. We started the company because we both loved Albuquerque and felt that nobody was giving it its just due.” Everything exploded in 2012 when they launched the Breaking Bad Tour. “To this day,” Mike quipped, “It was probably the biggest viral kind of flashpoint that’s ever happened to me in business.”

Now, the checkerboard pattern and its antiracist meaning are being used for Mike’s latest project, a non-profit called Burque Against Racism, funded during the racial reckoning of 2020. Music, after all, has deeply affected Mike’s entrepreneurial heart & soul and is the foundation of his love for serving Albuquerque and its people. Peep the three QR codes below to get hip to what Mike’s companies offer.

Stay tuned for Mike Silva Part 2, but the moral of this story is – Buy Some Great Cookies From Someone Who Cares About the Q!

But Mike wasn’t done creating from his heart. At the height of the Breaking Bad rush, selling out tours in seconds, Mike was again bitten by the entrepreneurial bug–his sweet tooth came calling. “I’ve always been a chocolate chip cookie guy. Not cake, not pie, not ice cream. For me, I’m finding the best cookie shop.” Mike wanted to open a cookie shop when there were none in Albuquerque yet, but he needed somebody who could bake. “I’m not a baker. I’ve never baked a cookie.” Then he remembered Kristin Dowling, a friend at a restaurant gig he took before launching Tour ABQ. She had excelled in culinary school at CNM and first discussed the shop with Mike in January of 2014. By July of that year, Rude Boy Cookies’ doors opened.

Burque Against Racism

HIS EARLIEST MEMORY, THERE WAS MUSIC.

Cookies Holiday Gift Guide

Tour ABQ

FACING IT

Every month or so, there is a sidewalk encampment on the way to our office. Above is the most recent picture.

James Baldwin, renowned Harlem Renaissance author, once said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” This harsh reality is in our faces every day. The local homelessness and housing issues have reached crisis levels. At the UpLift offices, we “face it” and we want to be a part of doing something to change it. We see the problem and everyone is talking about it. But what can we do about it? We’d like to hear from you.

FREE WITH YOUR LIBRARY CARD

Use the QR Code to answer these two questions:

1. What do you think should be done to resolve the issues that our unsheltered brothers and sisters are facing? Please do not include, “moving people along so that they show up in another neighborhood on another sidewalk.” We are not interested in putting the issues out of sight.

2. What do you know about the cost of rental housing in Albuquerque? In the International District?

Holla back and tell us what you think.

Question: What do the following have in common? ■ A meeting room with a view ■ The Wakanda Forever soundtrack ■ A tutorial on How to Rock Social Media ■ The Black Panther graphic novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates ■ A computer with wi-fi ■ A MasterClass on Black History, Freedom, and Love ■ An exploration into your family tree ■ A whole host of online resources: free live tutoring, free K-12 online classes

Answer: You can check them out either in person or online for FREE with your library card.

Use the QR below to learn all about the amazing FREE resources at your fingertips with a library card!

CAN STOP THE POWER OF A COMMITTED AND DETERMINED PEOPLE TO

MAKE A

DIFFERENCE IN

OUR SOCIETY. WHY? BECAUSE HUMAN BEINGS ARE THE MOST DYNAMIC LINK TO THE DIVINE ON THIS PLANET.”

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND

RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL

We just finished a very heated election season. The negative ads have stopped. A new group of elected officials will be sworn in at the beginning of the New Year. We have been out on the streets this year and we heard a lot of folks saying that they wish they had better choices and that we need people who understand the people and the issues to run for office and be in charge of our government. If that is to happen, it means that you have to get involved. This land is your land, it’s gon’ be what you make it. There are several opportunities for you to get involved this year and we highly encourage you to do it.

City Council District 6 seat is up for grabs. The current councilor Pat Davis won’t be running again and you could be our next City Councilor. In fact, all of the even-numbered seats are up for re-election in 2023 and two of the seats–including Trudy Jones’ seat in District 8–are wide open. Check out the City of Albuquerque’s election page for more information about how you or someone you know and love might run for office.

ATTEND A CITY COUNCIL MEETING

And if you want to be in the room where decisions are being made about your future, please make plans to attend a City Council meeting this year. You can go in-person or online and you can even sign up to speak at a meeting. This is where our elected officials are discussing issues that we read about later in the paper.

Here’s a schedule of the rest of the meetings for 2022 and 2023. Turn up…

GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT YOU!

Congratulations to newly-elected District 19 New Mexico State House Representative Janelle Anyanonu. Rep. Anyanonu will take her seat in January at the State Legislature at the upcoming 2023 60-day session. We look forward to working with Representative Anyanonu and all of our other elected officials during the upcoming session.

FIND OUT WHO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IS (AND CALL THEM)

Run for City Council in 2023

Meeting Schedule

Contact your representative

“NOTHING

Representative John Lewis

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR HOLIDAY?

As we wind down toward the end of the year, there are all kinds of celebrations–religious, secular, and personal–to ring in. There are also opportunities to help your neighbors and friends in need in the Q. See page 8 for some New Year’s Eve fun, but in the meantime, see below for opportunities and outings for you and yours.

FAMILY FUN

MORE FOOD RESOURCES

ROADRUNNER FOOD BANK (FOOD FINDER)

GUIDE TO FOOD ASSISTANCE RESOURCES

If you have a child in an APS School, please contact your school’s Family Liaison or Community School Coordinator for support with food. Roadrunner Food Pantry distributes from school sites.

And from all of us at the New Mexico Black Leadership Council, have a Happy Holidays!

We’ll see you next in 2023!!!!

MULTIPLE HOLIDAY TOURS & EVENTS

HELPING OTHERS

CIUDAD DE GRACIA GIFT MART

(An annual holiday gift mart where parents pay a minimal amount for gifts for their children)

GROUNDWORKS NM

(Giving to ABQ families via links to various organizations)

WINTER WONDERLAND 2022/EXPO NM

RIVER OF LIGHTS

LUMINARIA TOUR (OLD TOWN)

STOREHOUSE NM (FOOD DONATIONS)

Maybe you just wanna stay home and go to bed early. This has been 2020 too for real. Here at the New Mexico Black Leadership Council, we hope that your 2023 is filled with only good things for you and yours. Not to get all religious or anything, but one thing we know for sure is that what you think about, you bring about. There’s something to setting a goal and sticking with it–no matter how big or small. We know some of us have sworn off New Year’s

because we’re afraid that we will break them soon after we make them. But what if 2023, could be different. What if… Here’s 5 Tips to Make Your Resolutions

(from CignaGlobal):

THE UPLIFT INITIATIVE IS READY TO SERVE YOU.

Find out more about workforce solutions, rental assistance, COVID confidence, mental health, voter registration, broadband relief & more at nmblc.org/uplift or use the QR code.

Holla at us at uplift@nmblc.org or call 505.407.6784

or 505.407.6784