UpLift Chronicles_InternationalDistrictEdition_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.

MAKE WORK

THE ARTIST KNOWN AS SOKWA SHARES ON DILIGENCE AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS

The artist known as SOKWA was born Brett Kennedy in Shiprock, New Mexico. Though raised on the Navajo reservation, his mother is full-blooded Chippewa (Ojibwe), adopted by his Navajo grandparents. His father is an Anglo whose mother taught English on the reservation. SOKWA’s parents moved him to Albuquerque as a toddler, giving him an upbringing he describes as both “polarizing” and “whitewashed.” Getting back in touch with his Native traditions “comes into play in my art; trying to capture this thing I believe resides in our DNA and our blood, and calling back to our ancestors to make this new thing but still paying homage.”

SOKWA credits his wife with helping to advance his art career. They met in middle school and are truly lifelong partners. She’s what he calls the family’s “ultimate breadwinner.” “If I hadn’t had that kind of support from her, I wouldn’t be here having these conversations, because I wouldn’t have followed through with making art and selling it. But I’m here now, trying to do good on my end to make it as successful as I can.” As to their children, a 16-year-old

daughter and 5-year-old son, managing their pandemic schedules all under one roof contributed positively to both his parenting and his art. Like many artists, however, it took a minute for SOKWA to get on solid footing with his own creative process.

Years ago, SOKWA played football at UNM while getting his art studio degree but wasn’t committed to the workflow that currently distinguishes his output. After graduating, he took a risk with the earliest iteration of the Rail Yards space. “For that whole season, like six or seven months, I tried to sell my art.” But he didn’t make a lot of money and the art itself “just didn’t feel right,” and the calling quieted. Then COVID happened. Everyone was at home, of course, so he watched his then-toddler son and started painting again. He got into a rhythm between parenting at home and practicing his art and started amassing a good-size collection. When restrictions were lifted, he took a chance and “started going to every outdoor market that I could throughout the city.”

Every weekend for over a year, SOKWA “grinded super hard” and eventually got a poster gig with New Mexico United. That exposure was the push he needed; a year after that, he got an exhibit offer with the Secret Gallery in Barelas. “That solidified my position as a professional artist. Going into this year, I just hit it really hard and I’ve probably made some of my best pieces.”

SOKWA knows what it takes to make a name in the Burque art scene and he offers young, up-and-coming artists some advice. “The biggest thing is, you have to make work. You can’t say, ‘Well, I’ll get to it tomorrow.’” Also, “You can’t put all your fruit in one basket. I can’t just rely on that one painting I made. You have to keep making work because you’re trying to reach out to as much of an audience as possible.” Even if a new artist isn’t branding themselves in a style, and even if they’re not successful the first time around, “Just make artwork,” he states. “And as you practice and get better at it, people will recognize that.”

SOKWA interview SOKWA on Instagram Secret Gallery

“The biggest thing is, you have to make work. You can’t say, ‘Well, I’ll get to it tomorrow.’”

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

NMBLC

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

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!

IS NOT A LUXURY

Last month, we included an article featuring Dr. Stephanie McIver, Executive Director for Student Health and Counseling at UNM. This is part 2 of a 2-part interview with her.

Access to healthcare, especially mental healthcare, is confusing in the American system. Doubly so for Black and other underrepresented populations. Dr. McIver told us that one issue is healthcare’s “alphabet soup.” “[Who can tell] the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist, or a clinical social worker and an LPCC? Who can prescribe [medicine]?”

Moreover, McIver said, “Black Americans tend to be underinsured or not insured.” And when they have funds, mental healthcare is rarely where those precious dollars go. She says it’s often considered a “luxury.”

McIver is grateful that the Affordable Care Act [aka Obamacare] covers mental healthcare. “By Federal law, insurance companies have to offer mental healthcare with the same copay and coverage as they do for medical care.”

But how do you find a mental healthcare provider who understands where you’re coming from? “New Mexico [has] a very small Black healthcare provider population but it’s bigger than people realize. I founded New Mexico Black Mental Health Coalition because I couldn’t find other Black providers.” Fortunately, the pandemic made telehealth more readily available, which McIver says has been invaluable for BIPOC access.

“Whenever some tragic public event occurs, people often say, ‘we need more access to mental health.’ For anyone who has ever said that, I want us to do some self-exploration about our own willingness [to use mental healthcare], to understand what it’s like, how it can really work, so that we can serve as models, highly recommend it, and guide people who need it.”

NMBMHC

BIPOC mental

TRUE TO OURSELVES

Two of the New Mexico Black Leadership Council’s focal areas of impact are positive youth development and cultural vibrancy. In late May, a collaboration with the New Mexico Asian Family Center bore the third annual TrueNM cohort of youth artists celebrating their heritage—whether Asian or Black or a mix—and exploring identity, community, and racism through their work. Three of this year’s participants and their pieces are below.

DUC PHAM, 15

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR ART?

“I have a lot of things in my mind and, when I make art, it helps me put my ideas out into a general image. It helps me collect my thoughts and simplify them down into a way that not only I can understand, but also others can understand.”

ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER YOUNG ARTISTS COMING UP?

“[Do] whatever feels most important to you at the time; just put it out there. For instance, last year for me, the biggest issue was Asian hate during Covid. It was a big deal experienced by a lot of people; it was the thing that I felt was important at the time. So, I tried to put it into my project.”

TABITHA MAGHEE, 15

WHY IS YOUR ART IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO CREATE?

“It’s important because I feel like it tells people who I really am and tells them more about me. I want them to know that sometimes I’m not in the right place and sometimes I am. And how my days can be good or bad and [that] I have problems I can’t really express through words.”

WHAT DO YOU TELL ARTISTS WHO ARE JITTERY ABOUT BEING EXHIBITED?

“Don’t be afraid to express yourself. Don’t be afraid to talk to people through your art and just keep going. Show them how beautiful you are.”

COBY KEBE, 16

WHY DO YOU CHOOSE THE MEDIUM YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR ART?

“The medium I use is sewing. People have been wearing clothes for thousands of years. [My work is] a reflection of the world around me. Mainly what I base my work on is civil rights issues, [especially the] 1970s Black Panther Party. [For this exhibit, I made] the same pieces the Panthers wore and used during protests. A lot of my friends, when I told them how I felt about my pieces, they thought it was cringey or funny, but it’s really important for someone to be in touch with themselves and do what they like.”

WHAT’S NEXT ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU?

“[For my first runway show at Badland Studios,] my theme is ‘Sierra Leone at War.’ It’s where my dad is from, so a lot of pieces have a personal touch but also are like an outsider looking in on my past and cultural roots. I make these pieces, you wear them, people ask [what the pieces are about], and so then history doesn’t repeat itself.”

“Mirrors” still from digital animation by Duc Pham

“This Is Who I Am” pencil, colored pencil, marker by Tabitha Maghee

“By Any Means Necessary”

denim, leather by Coby Kebe

CREATING THOUGHTFUL CITIZENS THE NMHC INSPIRES YOUNG STUDENTS TO INVEST IN THE HUMANITIES AND THEMSELVES

The nonprofit New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) is celebrating 50 years of providing public programming in the humanities. The humanities’ fields include literature, history, art history, philosophy, ethnic studies, foreign languages, and religious studies. The NMHC was founded after the 1965 formation of the National Endowment for the Humanities. They’re primarily funded by big organizations like the McCune Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, but they’re deeply grateful for the smaller, individual donations they receive on the regular. Here’s a Q&A we had with NMHC exec director, Brandon Johnson, who’s a historian with a PhD from the University of Chicago.

WHAT’S THE NMHC DO? WHO ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS?

We primarily work out of school with the youth, providing public programming in the humanities. But we often overlap with what’s being done in school. One particular program [we run] is National History Day, working with teachers and students to provide training in historical research. It’s like a science fair for budding historians. We work directly with libraries, museums, cultural centers, and other nonprofits, and of course, schools, universities, and colleges.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING NATIONAL HISTORY DAY?

It’s [actually] a full-year, rigorous academic program with research- and project-based work [that] culminates in a national contest in College Park, Maryland in June. All the students that won at state show their projects: documentaries, papers, performances, showcases. The kids love it, and New Mexico does quite well every year. It’s pretty exciting.

WHAT ARE SOME LOCAL- MINDED PROGRAMS YOU’RE RUNNING?

We’re finding ways to connect people in far-flung communities. We’re also experimenting with digital mapping. We have a collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management where we’re doing preservation and education programs around archeological sites in southeastern New Mexico. We [also] worked for a while with the Library of Congress to provide teachers with cultural competence around Native American history in New Mexico.

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW?

There’s a lot of emphasis placed on STEM these days, and rightly so. Those are important disciplines to pay attention to. But the humanities provide context for understanding STEM disciplines. Science has a history. Ethical concerns come up when we talk about science. And that’s a humanities avenue.

[Education isn’t] just about technical training; it’s about creating thoughtful citizens. And you can’t really do that without teaching about context, understanding, and cultural competence. Those things are essential to building a well-rounded citizenry.

WHAT ARE SOME COUNCIL PRIORITIES NOW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

The big question of American culture, right now, is democracy, right? Is democracy important? Why is it important? How do we invest in it? How do we bring people back to thinking about the critical questions of how we interact, in the realm of governance and community? I don’t think that happens unless we can talk to each other. And clearly there are many divides in American society right now. [How do we talk] about it without hating each other? I try to remain hopeful that the work will slowly advance us [and have a] salutary effect on society.

WHAT DO YOU ADVISE THE YOUNG HUMANITIES STUDENTS GOING THROUGH YOUR PROGRAM?

I would say maintain creativity and an exploratory spirit. Talk with people, learn their stories, record their stories. Get your camera out and go take photographs of things you think are beautiful. That is an antidote to the rote learning that we all have to do.

NMHC NEH

“What Are the Humanities?”

Yazzie/Martinez consolidated lawsuit

“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.