UpLiftChronicles_BeyondTheChairEdition_August2023_V2.I7

IT’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIME. BUT WHAT’S THAT MEAN FOR OUR STUDENTS?

When spilling tea about New Mexico schools, we used to quip, “Thank God for Mississippi,” because at least we ranked ahead of them in education. But the Magnolia State has recently launched successful education reforms that greatly improved its reading and math scores and graduation rates. It now ranks far ahead of New Mexico, which has again hit the statistical bottom.

Despite efforts to change, we are still failing our students’ education and well-being. The Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit from 2018 was supposed to focus on the least-served of our children; last year, voters amended the state constitution to guarantee early education access; and APS changed its classroom hours and increased teacher salaries for this school year. But the needle isn’t moving, prompting us to ask, “What’s it going to take to change the education game for our children?”

On the horizon, the NM Public Education Department is creating “innovation zones” in dozens of schools around the state which focus on postgrad workplace and career advancement; and the governor has pivoted toward special education improvements as well. Time will tell if these and other new programs will improve conditions.

WE HAVE TO BECOME CURIOUS ABOUT THE ROOTS OF OUR SYSTEMIC INEFFECTIVENESS IN EDUCATION AND THEN BECOME PERSISTENT IN OUR DEMANDS FOR BETTER—FOR THE BEST.

We can begrudge Mississippi if we want, or we can follow their lead. We can even pore over student and family statistics, but at some point, we have to ask why we rationalize our educational deficits and disparities. We must call our politicians and civic leaders to account. We must become curious about the roots of our systemic ineffectiveness in education and then become persistent in our demands for better—for the best.

In this and later issues, we’ll keep discussing the future, which is our children. We also want you to be an active participant in the conversations stoked by our paper, so please take advantage of our first-ever reader’s poll by clicking on the QR below. We sincerely appreciate your feedback.

BEING ABOUT

UNM SCHOOL OF LAW PROFESSOR SONIA GIPSON RANKIN MAKES FULL TENURE

We’re sending hearty congratulations to Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin on her promotion to tenured professor at UNM School of Law! Gipson Rankin is known for her computer science accolades and passion for racial justice. Her scholarship in the fast-growing field of artificial intelligence (AI) is sought by major news sources like the BBC and NPR.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, in 2019, noted that only 2.1% of tenured faculty at American universities were Black women. So, Gipson Rankin appreciates that students are often gratified to see someone who looks like them teaching class, showing that they, too, can accomplish big goals. We see you, Professor Gipson Rankin, and we celebrate your accomplishment! Below is her Q&A.

WHAT LED YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, CAREER-WISE?

My third-grade teacher [once] stood on a desk to hang something from the ceiling. While on the desk, she started tap dancing. All of the students were amazed and I said to myself, “this is what I want to do when I grow up.” I have yet to tap dance in the classroom, but I do try to wow students when I can!

One of the most impactful parts of my journey has been my children. My daughters were born while I was a law student. I come from a tech family. I knew I would study computer science, but my plan was to become a patent attorney to help Black Americans get patents for tech inventions.

Life has turned and twisted a bit, but I would not change one step of the journey.

DID YOU FACE ANY OBSTACLES AS A BLACK WOMAN STUDYING AND TEACHING LAW?

Were there complexities due to race? Absolutely. Some people are so trifling and have time to be unkind or evil. But I keep one thought at the top of my mind: There is nothing wrong with me; there is something broken about them. I was taught a particular mindset: (1) you can do anything you want to do, (2) be about excellence, and (3) you are required to give back. Only 12 out of 250 students [at the University of Illinois College of Law] were Black and we stuck together. Black Law Student Association members babysat my kids, shared their casebooks and materials, and reviewed my scholarship…[and now] I have the most gracious and generous colleagues at the University of New Mexico School of Law.

I am a member of Lutie A. Lytle Sisters, an organization named for a daughter of formerly enslaved parents who became one of the world’s first Black woman law professors. They carefully support current and aspiring Black women law faculty.

ANY WORDS OF WISDOM TO SHARE WITH STUDENTS?

My mother, Rev. Dr. Sheila A. Gipson, passed away May 30, 2023. She was the best mommy who ever mommied, and I am still in shock. She would say, “Why not try? If it doesn’t work, do something else.” I encourage people to give it a try. You will be surprised at the adventures that are waiting on the other side of saying yes to life!

“You will be surprised at the adventures that are waiting on the other side of saying yes to life!”

Sonia Gipson Rankin and her family

It’s back-to-school time, but are students looking forward to it?

Jackie Mahoney is a social worker and coach for parents and caregivers needing to help their kids through school. Moving from the long, lazy days of summer back into a schooltime routine, she says, can be a real challenge. “Getting up at a certain time, being able to sit still, listening to whatever the lesson is. Managing your anxiousness, or your need to move.” It’s all part of getting back into the groove of the school year.

GETTING BACK IN THE GROOVE

SCHOOL-TIME COPING SKILLS CAN HELP OUR STUDENTS

As Mahoney points out, different children have different needs. A first step to helping a child adjust to the school year is figuring out their own style. “I’m thinking of my own two children. [My younger daughter’s] nickname was Fidget. I had to break up her homework. I knew that after 25 minutes, when the fidgeting started…it was breaktime.” It helps to look for patterns. “Maybe your child likes to come home and do their homework right away. But you may have another one that can’t. So rather than shaming them,” you can negotiate, like,

“Let’s do homework for 20 minutes, and then take a 10-minute break.”

Caregivers also need support systems, Mahoney says. And she’s excited to be working with NMBLC on exactly that, surveying parents to create spaces where “all caregivers in the International District can gather, and facilitate dialogue around their challenges to make things better” for them and their children. Keep an eye on this space, and the NMBLC website, as this program develops.

DECIPHERING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM’S ALPHABET SOUP

New Mexico’s Public Education Department (PED) releases scores for public schools across the state. These scores show students’ performance in math, reading, science, attendance, and graduation rates. Over 200 New Mexico schools, including 50 in Albuquerque, need support due to low performance. PED’s data is published on their online portal NM Vistas. There, you can search for a local school’s score. This data is made available because of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

ESSA is a federal law signed by President Obama in 2015. It amends the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and revamps No Child Left Behind from 2002. ESSA is designed to ensure that all American students are taught to high academic standards. It requires that information be made available

School designations and descriptions

to the public through annual statewide assessments. Another component of ESSA is to provide federal assistance to Title 1 schools, which are those schools identified as populated by 50% or more economically-disadvantaged students.

Schools are put in categories based on their scores and Title 1 status. Schools with below-average scores get categorized as needing help. Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) means that one or more student groups meet the state’s definition of consistently underperforming. More categories, such as Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI), exist for Title 1 schools, as well.

It’s tough to say what these categories accomplish, especially since some of the definitions are way confusing. The increased transparency that ESSA provides educators, families, and students, however, could be a step in the right direction.

Public school scores

SHOW AND PROVE

THREE FORMER LOCAL STUDENT-ATHLETES ROCKET TO THE NFL

KRQE’s sports director, Van Tate, has plenty to say when it comes to touting three recent, local student-athlete success stories. It’s because he knows that, these days, there’s a different—and much-improved—ethos for college student-athletes and their success in and out of their sport. Universities emphasize the student part of the student-athlete equation now. Tate is not only qualified as a media veteran to rap about athletes’ lives and livelihood, but played tight end himself at UNM back in the day. We recently talked with him about the positive trajectories of Keshawn Banks, Jordan Byrd, and Jerrick Reed II, three talented Black athletes poised to light the pro football world up.

Tate states that in decades past, college athletes were kept eligible to play as long as possible, regardless of their academic credits, which he says was doing them a disservice. Nowadays, an athlete can get excused from practice if it conflicts with a class, or they can make the class up online. Athletes’ self-regard has changed, too; they’re taking advantage of the education they’re receiving as a result of their physical prowess. Many are like, “Look, I’m trying to graduate; this is my opportunity,” Tate says. They’re hip to taking care of academic business and working on their degrees as effectively as clocking their stats on the field.

Banks, Byrd, and Reed are local football stars who translated great high school and college success into professional gain. Keshawn Banks graduated Rio Rancho High School, winning the state championship in 2016, finishing 13-0. He played defensive lineman for the San Diego State Aztecs and signed a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers.

Jordan Byrd is a speed demon, beginning as a national track champion in the 100 and 200 meters. He then quarterbacked the Manzano High Monarchs to their only state football championship in 2017. At San Diego State with Banks, he was tops as a running back and kick returner. Tate says there’s “no substitute” for Byrd’s speed. “If you can’t catch somebody, it’s game over.” Byrd signed as an undrafted free agent for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Former Lobo Jerrick Reed II got drafted straight to the Seattle Seahawks. And Tate says Reed’s so well-regarded and “so intense even though he’s not the biggest guy,” that Seattle GM John Schneider calls Reed an “angry elf, so he’s in good standing.” He showed and proved at Seattle’s minicamp this past May.

Tate is especially proud of the character of players like Banks, Byrd, and Reed: of the diligence and perseverance these new pros have shown. “These guys are tough. They couldn’t take a game off. So, by the time they got to the NFL, they didn’t need to be coddled.” Tate notes how smart these local stars are, investing in their future, betting on themselves, and working hard to give themselves all the chances to get where they want to go. We’ll all have to keep an eye on them this fall!

Van Tate

Jerrick Reed II

Sam Wasson/Getty Images via fieldgulls.com

Keshawn Banks

Jordan Byrd

Van Tate Jordan Byrd Keshawn Banks Jerrick Reed II

GET READY FOR LEADERSHIP CHANGES AT ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) will be going through major leadership changes over the coming year. Three of the seven APS Board seats are up for election in November. To top it off, Superintendent Scott Elder announced his resignation last month. His last day is June 30, 2024, so the school board is gearing up for a new superintendent search.

APS BOARD CHANGES

The school board election will be on the ballot come November 7. The seats up for reelection are District 1, District 2, and District 4. District 1 covers the South Valley; District 2 covers the Northwest part of town; and District 4 includes the International District, Nob Hill, and Uptown. Those running for a seat on the school board will declare their candidacy on August 29 of this year. Anyone interested in running for their district’s school board has to file a Declaration of Candidacy with the County Clerk on Tuesday, August 29, between 9am and 5pm at the Bernalillo County Alvarado Square Commission Chambers, 415 Silver Ave. SW, first floor.

APS board duties include hiring the superintendent, improving student outcomes, and overseeing a

STILL IN THE PICTURE:

billion-plus budget. One of the biggest decisions the school board approved recently is the new academic calendar, which extends the school year and changes the start times for some elementary and middle schools by as much as an hour and a half earlier.

The APS board holds regular meetings every first and third Wednesday of the month. The meetings are open to the community, and public forums are a part of the regular meetings. This is a way folks can get involved in the happenings at their neighborhood school. To be heard at the forum, you need to sign up on the day of the meeting before it starts. As of press time, the next regular school board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 2 at 5pm at Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, John Milne Community Board Room, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. You can also attend virtually. Previous board meetings are posted on the APS YouTube channel.

SUPERINTENDENT SWITCHOVER

The other big change on the horizon for Albuquerque Public Schools is the superintendent. Scott Elder is stepping down as superintendent after his contract

expires next year. The school board says it plans to have a replacement by spring 2024. Elder, who’s spent decades working in APS, served as superintendent during the pandemic. He led the change to remote learning and back again. According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal, the school board plans to revamp the superintendent’s job description and even look to outside firms to help in its search for a new superintendent.

Keep a lookout for ongoing coverage of the upcoming school board election in future issues of the UpLift Chronicles!

THE NEW MEXICO AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS GUILD

Over a year post-pandemic, we’re still seeing its impact on many organizations. That’s particularly true for the New Mexico African American Artists Guild (aka “the Guild”), a coalition originating in 1972. While the ties holding the collective together are looser in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the Guild’s still here, with changes on the way.

The Guild’s mission is to preserve the artistic heritage of African Americans in New Mexico, and support artists who demonstrate an African American cultural worldview as inspiration for their work. According to President Kenneth Winfrey, the Guild’s name will soon change to the

New Mexico Artists of the African Diaspora.

The Guild has also undergone recent membership changes. Former VP Michael Carson relocated to Virginia to be closer to his grandchildren; exhibit regular Gwen Samuels moved back East where she still shows her stunning quilts.

Pre-pandemic, the Guild attempted to secure a permanent exhibit place. Now, the focus is to explore alternative venues. Vice President Annie Gillespie continues to secure space at each New Mexico State Fair for Black artists.

As life returns to normal, Annie says she’s excited to re-engage the approximately 80 artists the Guild has stayed connected to.

The Guild is open to all, so to join, call 505.336.0056 or email info@nmaaag.org.

Stop by the New Mexico State Fair to see the Guild’s work up close and in color! The exhibit will be at the Alice K. Hoppes African American Pavillion, and the fair runs from September 7-17, 2023.

NMAAG FB group 2019 exhibit

Kenneth Winfrey

“WE ARE ESSENTIAL”

BEYOND THE CHAIR RISES UP AFTER TOUGH TIMES WITH A COMEBACK SHOWCASE

In our supersized May/June issue, we told you that the Beyond the Chair Initiative (BTC) was ready to serve the community. Well, this September, they’re gonna blow up the spot with the New Mexico Beyond the Chair Hair Flair event! So, who again is the BTC? And what’s their event all about?

The BTC, an organization sponsored by the New Mexico Black Leadership Council, formed for several reasons:

■ They bring the beauty salon and barber shop community together to uplift one another.

■ They recognize Black beauty salons and barber shops are foundational to the community.

■ They assist salons’ and shops’ efforts to uplevel their businesses.

■ They cultivate salons’ and shops’ efforts to get customers access to community resources which may be difficult to come by.

Mylette Clark, owner of Hair It Is Beauty Salon, is BTC chair, and Michelle McClenehan-Belton is co-chair. With the team of BTC cohort members from other salons and shops, they’re bringing back the biggest hair show Albuquerque has seen in decades. Mylette notes that the New Mexico Beyond the Chair Hair Flair “is a showcase that feels like we’re rising back after the pandemic shut so many of us down. It really affected our line of business tremendously. It’s important to come together in this way because we are essential.” Especially to the communities these salons and shops serve.

The Hair Flair show in September will consciously break with some older traditions. Mylette states that ALL hair salons, barber shops, and beauty colleges in the greater metro area are invited to participate. This isn’t just a Black-owned showcase, y’all, this is coalition-building.

What’s also different is the show will not be a competition. Michelle told us, “No trophies will be given. Our intent is to showcase” all this local talent—stylists and barbers and students of both. The Hair Flair event will also be completely free for all who participate in it. “There will be no fees of any kind. We hope to help participants gain new customers by letting the community see the talent they have to offer.”

Participants can sign up to perform in categories like business professional, workout, and “a night out.” Then there are subcategories like haircuts, colors, barber cuts, braids, dread heads, weaves, updo’s, natural styles, and more.

Amateur stylists, like cosmetology students and independents, can also test their skills in the same categories of their own bracket with the goal of attracting attention and possibly securing employment.

The New Mexico Beyond the Chair Hair Flair event happens at the Salt Yard West on Saturday, September 16 @ 5pm. If you’re down to participate,

sign up with the QR code below. If you have questions, please contact Mylette or Michelle.

If you want more information about the Beyond the Chair Initiative, see the QR at right on the cohort and others like it under the Chisholm Table coalition of the NMBLC.

Beyond the Chair chair

505.489.1048

mylettebtc@gmail.com

MICHELLE

MCCLENEHAN-BELTON

Beyond the Chair co-chair 505.991.6604

michellebtc49@gmail.com

MYLETTE CLARK

New Mexico Beyond the Chair Hair Flair sign-up

Chisholm Table & BTC Initiative

EVERYBODY MOVE!

THIS INCLUSIVE ACADEMY HAS A VISION FOR ITS YOUNG DANCERS

VIIIZON Academy started with a mission: “Creating safe spaces,” says co-founder Trey Pickett, “so marginalized people, but especially Black, brown, and indigenous people, can see more reflections of themselves.”

Trey and his partner Vanessa Matthis are excited to provide the safe rehearsal space they often didn’t have as young dancers. “Some of the places we danced were in parks, or literally just out on the corner,” he remembers. Vanessa recalls that, too: “Winrock, when it was closed down, we practiced in front of the storefront windows as our mirrors.”

At the height of Covid, they saw students in online classes shivering while dancing in parks and parking lots. Trey remembers Vanessa getting “bumped” without explanation from rehearsal spaces she had booked. “We came to a point where we started to see a need.” VIIIZON opened in 2021.

While “everyone in the world is welcome” in their studio, VIIIZON is specifically a safe space for those not embraced by traditional dance spaces. Trey says, “The experience of a Black dancer, or anyone of color, is definitely different. [Here,] the opportunities first are [for] the girls or young dudes or queer-identifying people who would be in the back and pushed to the edges: ‘Get up here in the front, come up to the mirror, own this space. Slay. We’re here to uplift you.’”

One word you hear a lot when talking to Vanessa and Trey is “community.” Vanessa reflects, “We offer this to support the community, not just for what we do. It’s hard to find affordable space. We’ve been trying to give back to the community that has supported and uplifted us.” Trey adds that their studio space, shared with Black Cat Theater, is “a perfect fit: mirrors, a nice floor, great neighbors, and a community that wants to foster positivity, leadership development, and growth.”

The studio offers a wide variety of styles, and its founders are eager to keep offering new cultural experiences. Trey gives the example of Afrobeat: “That is not just a normal dance class; it’s an initiative to learn more about African culture, because the steps say something about the people.” There are constantly-bubbling plans to offer art classes, ecstatic “dance church,” acting, and storytime, so everyone–not just self-identified dancers–can be part of the VIIIZON community, supporting and being supported by it.

You can check out VIIIZON at upcoming shows: the Divine Goddess Burlesque Variety Show benefit for the 988 mental-health hotline, performances at Isotopes games, and a collaboration with Meow Wolf.

But what is the vision of VIIIZON? “Deep down to the root of it,” Vanessa says, “our mission is ‘people first, dancers second.’ How can we instill not just great dancing, but becoming a great human at the same time?”

Trey also shares a vision for all of us. “Move! Everybody move. Just have a practice of five minutes, thirty seconds–move, and just mean it with all your heart.”

Vanessa laughs and agrees. “Do all the things. All the things! Don’t be afraid. Go for it.”

VIIIZON Academy Donate ————— Video —————

“ENDLESS” SUMMER

Peep local end-of-summer and back-to-school happenings with the QR code at right from the City of Albuquerque. And be sure to let us know of any upcoming events you’d like us to plug!

IT’S OUR ANNIVERSARY..! READ MORE BELOW…

With this August 2023 issue, we are low-key celebrating one YEAR of publishing the UpLift Chronicles! We appreciate all the kudos and support from the community and we want to keep doing right by you, issue after issue. Please take the Readers’ Survey with the QR to the far right and share your opinions with us. Don’t be shy; we have thick skin. We’re proud of what we put out, but we’re always looking for more improvement and inclusion.

Also, please email us your story ideas, at least three weeks prior to the month you’d like us to consider the piece for. And if you’re not a subscriber yet, please sign up to the right.

Lastly, keep an eye out for up-to-the-moment info on our EQ Blog and social media; give the posts and stories a like or repost if they speak to you. The blog QR is also to the right and the Instagram handle is @newmexicoblack.

Enjoy the end of summer; we’ll see you dancin’ in September!

Asante, the UpLift Chronicles Team

As we get back into the school year, remember to protect your children and your family’s health! The NM Dept. of Health offers us to “take a small step toward a BIG future for your child and get them caught up with their vaccines!” Immunization safeguards them and us. Click the QR at right for more info.

THE UPLIFT INITIATIVE IS ALL ABOUT GETTING BACK TO YOU.