UpLift Chronicles_BeyondTheChair_October2023_V2.I9

WE GOTTA KEEP INCREASING VOTER PARTICIPATION W

UP TURNOUT

It’s that time again. We, the people, are entering election season. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. Let’s talk about the ongoing work to increase voter turnout and how the New Mexico Black Leadership Council (NMBLC) plays a role in doing so. The New Mexico Black Voters Collaborative is a non-partisan collective convened by the NMBLC to tackle the

VOTER EDUCATION by making sure our neighbors know the issues, the candidates, and how the voting process works. “Political engagement requires strong communities. It’s more than just helping [someone] register to vote; we have to be sure there’s a community coalition to make sure the power is used correctly,” said Jack Champagne, NMBLC UpLift Initiative Director.

task of increasing voter participation among eligible African Americans here in New Mexico.

Now, you may be wondering how? Let’s break it down in three parts. It starts with VOTER OUTREACH. Ensuring community members are “in the know” and encouraging them to get to the polls. It’s even more important to highlight history, as our ancestors fought hard for the right to vote.

After reaching out to prospective voters, the Black Voters Collaborative turns its attention to

“Your vote matters,” are three words we hear each election season. By educating voters on the issues that are important to them, it becomes easier to see the overall impact of the ballot. Champagne points out the ongoing housing crisis in Albuquerque, adding, “A lot of the bad things going on with housing are due to landlords wielding too much power on city council, so explaining how problems are connected to voting or the lack thereof can help residents see the bigger picture and take action.”

So, the final part of the process is VOTER MOBILIZATION. After outreach and education, the ultimate hope is that people will actually get out and vote. Champagne emphasizes that efforts like the Black Voters Collaborative must remain local. “You build that power on the ground and it could shift the status quo.”

“Build voting power on“ the ground and it shifts ”the status quo.”

POWER AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

GET TO KNOW WHO’S RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL IN YOUR DISTRICT

The November election is right around the corner. Civic engagement and political power begin with the local scene. That’s why the UpLift Chronicles is bringing you the scoop on our local elections, starting with City Council.

City Council seats are up for election in four districts this year. District 2 is roughly the north and southwest part of Albuquerque, including Downtown and the North Valley, and a section in the southeast. District 4 covers the Northeast Heights north of Montgomery and most parts east to Eubank. District 6 encompasses the Southeast Heights, roughly within Lomas to the north, Gibson to the south, and Eubank to the east. District 8 encompasses the Tanoan Country Club, covering an area north of Menaul and east to the foothills.

UpLift Chronicles is here to help you get ready to cast your vote come Tuesday, November 7, 2023. See who’s running for City Council and where you can find more information about each candidate.

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, DISTRICT 2

JOAQUIN BACA, hydrologist and Downtown resident. Campaign Priorities: Public safety, affordable housing, homelessness, substance abuse treatment, and protection of natural resources.

LORETTA NARANJO LOPEZ, city planner and New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association board member. Campaign Priorities: Economic development, affordable housing, and access to healthcare.

MOISES GONZALEZ, filmmaker and Downtown Neighborhood Association board member. Campaign Priorities: Public safety, public transportation, and affordable housing.

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, DISTRICT 4

BROOK BASSAN, city councilor up for re-election and Nor Este Neighborhood Association board member. Campaign Priorities: Public safety, funding the police department, small business sustainability, and improving quality of life.

ABBY FOSTER, licensed attorney, small business owner, and mediator practicing adult guardianship law. Campaign Priorities: Public safety, substance abuse treatment, affordable housing, economic development and support for labor, clean energy, education, and protection of reproductive healthcare.

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, DISTRICT 6

ABEL OTERO, owner and operator of Fonzy’s Barbershop in Nob Hill. Campaign Priorities: Public safety, economic development, leading with compassion.

JEFF HOEHN, executive director for Cuidando Los Niños, a shelter and school for homeless children and their families. Campaign Priorities: Public safety and housing.

KRISTIN RAVEN GREENE, retiree and civic neighborhood participant. Campaign Priorities: Public safety, economic development, and beautification.

JOHNNY JUÁREZ, working-class champion and community organizer from the Pueblos of Laguna and Isleta. Campaign Priorities: Affordable housing, public safety, workforce development, road infrastructure, and public transportation.

NICHOLE ROGERS, Juneteenth celebration organizer, chair of the City’s Gun Violence Task Force, and financial management firm consultant. Campaign Priorities: Poverty, housing, public safety, and healthcare.

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, DISTRICT 8

DANIEL CHAMPINE, retired Albuquerque Police Officer. Campaign Priorities: Crime reduction, homelessness, economic development, budget and taxes streamlining, and education.

IDALIA LECHUGA-TENA, former New Mexico state representative and international ambassador and Meals on Wheels vice president. Campaign Priorities: Public safety, affordable housing, homelessness, substance abuse and behavioral health treatment, economic development, and education.

Keep your eye on the NMBLC events calendar for upcoming candidate forums.

SHOT DOWN GOVERNOR’S GUN BAN BLOCKED

FEDERAL JUDGE STEPS IN ON PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER

Two weeks ago, a federal judge blocked part of an emergency public health order issued by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The order suspended the right to carry guns in public in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. An incident that appeared to be the “final straw” for the governor was the shooting death of 11-year-old Froylan Villegas. Investigators say Villegas was killed in a suspected road rage incident while leaving an Isotopes game with his mother, brother, and cousin. He was the third child within two months to have been killed by gun violence.

The governor faced backlash from both sides of the aisle after issuing the “surprise order” on September 8; by September 13, the court took action.

Republican lawmakers filed lawsuits and like-minded constituents called for Lujan Grisham to be impeached. Gun-rights advocates also spoke against the order. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez said he

FUNDING CNM’S FUTURE

could not defend the governor’s decision and urged more time be spent on developing “comprehensive legislation.” Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen and Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina expressed dissatisfaction with the order, calling it “unconstitutional.” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller urged the governor to call a special legislative session.

Support for the order seems to be spread thin, with the Catholic Church being one of the few organizations to stand with gun-control advocates.

New Mexico is an open carry state. The Associated Press reports just over 14,500 people living in Bernalillo county have an active carry and conceal license. New Mexico also is in the top three states with the highest firearm mortality rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number one cause of death among youth in New Mexico is gun violence.

The federal judge granted a temporary restraining order to block the governor’s suspension of gun rights. A hearing is scheduled to occur early this month. Note: This is a developing story. The UpLift Chronicles will continue to keep you informed of the latest developments on www.nmblc.org and in future editions.

UNDERSTANDING GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS

We have been talking about the importance of voter education. Let’s talk about GO (General Obligation) bonds. They raise money for projects throughout the state that may not generate revenue on their own. The state’s general fund, which is supported by tax revenue, is what pays for the project. However, whether or not there’s a tax rate increase depends on the specific bond.

Voters living in Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties will see the CNM GO Bond on the back of the November ballot. The President of CNM, Tracey Hartzler, joined one of our bi-weekly UpLift meetings to discuss how important this bond is for both the school and the community.

“Our community college has a public purpose and a public mission to provide education and training to all who come to us,” said Hartzler.

General Obligation Bonds only require a “yes” or “no” from voters. If voters give the CNM GO Bond the greenlight, it will provide $80 million in funding for projects supporting students across central New Mexico. Some of the projects include the creation of the CNM Film and Digital Media Center at the Albuquerque Rail Yards, improvements to its

skilled trades program, a new facility in Rio Rancho, and technology upgrades. This specific GO Bond will not increase tax rates, although some do.

We spoke with the Bernalillo County Clerk of Courts, Linda Stover, on the importance of local elections, who said, “A lot of people get wrapped up in the Presidential election or the race for Governor, but this is just as important, if not more.”

A special note—the CNM bond will be at the end of the ballot so most voters will need to turn their ballot over to see it.

Governor’s Gun Order Judge Blocks Governor

Open Carry States

Firearm Mortality by State

WILL THE SHOW GO ON?

EXAMPLES OF HOW THE HOLLYWOOD WORK STOPPAGE IS AFFECTING LOCAL CREW

New Mexico is a top film and TV production hub, with almost $800M brought into the state last year alone. With brand-new studio spaces approved in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces, the momentum isn’t slowing. Until the latest strikes, that is.

Here’s what’s up: Right now, all of Hollywood has ground to a halt due to a labor dispute between the Writer’s Guild (WGA), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), and their contracts with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) representing producers and studios. Meantime, with few exceptions, everyone in the biz is completely out of work. For the close-knit local production community, many of whom are members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) local 480 union, the work stoppage has been crushing. Here’s how some of the film folks are coping.

Sale Taylor

SAG-AFTRA, IATSE overflow

Roles: actor, stunts, production office Projects: Graves, The Brave, The Harder They Fall

“[People say,] why don’t you just get a job? But when you’re telling us to suck it up, you’re telling me I may not come back to my dream, I’ll be forgotten or replaced... I personally want to see [more] resources for those with mental health needs. [There’s a] stigma against especially men of color getting mental health help. But we need all the help we can get and there’s nothing wrong with asking. It sucks when, because of the strike, we’re having to choose where our last dollar is having to go. Should I feed my family or seek help for myself? These aren’t new problems, but these are the current things a lot of us are going through… I see [our leadership] fighting for as equitable a deal as possible, so I’m putting my faith in them and hoping for the best outcome.”

Roles: location manager, IATSE 480 president (outgoing) Projects: No Country For Old Men, Jumanji, Terminator Salvation, 3:10 to Yuma

“[IATSE is] not on strike. Our contract [with AMPTP] is still valid and our members can still work. The reason our members are not working is because of what’s called ‘lack of work’ because the AMPTP has chosen to shut shows down because they’d rather keep people unemployed than go back to the bargaining table and resolve their issues with the writers and SAG, which they could do in the matter of a day… Obviously, the effect is devastating… [and] affecting nearly everyone in the state of New Mexico.

Small businesses, workers, hotels, and lumberyards are suffering. This could be fixed very quickly if the producers resumed talks. The entire economy of New Mexico is taking a hit because of their decision to ‘wait us out’ or something like that. Outside the industry, [people] might think that this is not their fight and I would say that there’s quite a lot that’s relevant to workers across America and across the world, actually. Do we want to create corporations which exist to maximize profit, and then let them squeeze as many dollars as they can out of as many of us? Or do we want to create checks and balances to form union legislation so that we all can live wonderful, rich, diverse lives that are in balance and are fair? And that’s really the conversation at the table.”

Roles: production coordinator, actor

Projects: Godless, Daybreak, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again

“As a creative person, it’s difficult to make a living [right now]. Once you’ve achieved a way to support your livelihood through art, you’re not just losing your job, you’re losing a way to exist in mainstream society that honors who you are… I was raised poor, so I’m not afraid of being poor. I’m resourceful and will do whatever it takes to care for myself simply. But I’m incredibly fortunate I don’t have other people to provide for and I’ve very good health.”

For the sake of the local crew members, their families, and all the local businesses affected, we hope an equitable resolution to the collective bargaining process can be reached soon.

Rebecca “Puck” Stair IATSE

Kieran Sequoia IATSE, SAG-AFTRA

“Small businesses, workers, hotels, and lumberyards are suffering.”

Coming to town this past spring, Sonya Bellafant is expanding people’s access to justice using the strong voice she’s won through experience and tenacity.

Since arriving in April to take the Executive Director position at New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA), Sonya Bellafant hasn’t found much about the Land of Enchantment not to like. “Except for the dust.”

She loves the mountains, the peaceful drive home, the friendly people, the constant sunshine. “It’s absolutely stunning,” she says. And she is excited to do “impactful work” at NMLA.

The agency Bellafant previously worked for, 603 Legal Aid in Concord, NH, “...didn’t do a lot of casework and direct representation. For me, that was very difficult, because one of the reasons I became a legal aid attorney was

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

BELLAFANT, NEW MEXICO LEGAL AID EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

that there are many people who aren’t comfortable using their voice. When you can’t exercise your voice, having someone to empower you, and to educate you, and to represent you, can make a world of difference.”

NMLA provides outreach, education, advice, and in some cases full legal representation for disenfranchised and low-income New Mexicans. Legal aid attorneys help people understand their rights and access justice in housing issues, benefits, domestic violence and family law, employment, and more.

“All of these things, unfortunately, I’ve faced in personal and professional experience. In all candor, I incredibly value the position I’m currently sitting in, because I can support the legal advocates and stand side by side with them.”

Bellafant recalls the struggles of the family she grew up in, which started her down the road to legal aid work.

“The thing I’m most proud of is that I am the descendant of a woman who did not graduate high school, got married as a teenager, and had three children by the time she was 21.” Legal aid attorneys helped Bellafant’s family achieve a more stable economic status. Her mother got

a divorce, an order of protection, and a GED—and graduated college while Bellafant was in high school. “Every day, I go to work hoping that we are having the same impact on everyone that we serve.”

Bellafant became an attorney, she says, “Because I needed one.” When she learned that the legal field was looking for more women, “I thought, well, I can do this.” Painfully shy, Bellafant discovered that she loved litigation. When her partner in moot court won Best Advocate despite Bellafant doing the bulk of the preparation, she remembers thinking she would “never again allow shyness to prevent me from speaking up.”

Now she uses the voice she won to help others. “Representing people who came from the same economic status I was born into was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had.”

Bellafant’s agency, NMLA, is accessible online and through community outreach. “We

have a host of teleclinics, in-person clinics, and an incredible team that gets out regularly to meet with the community.”

“The amount of need in New Mexico by far exceeds the available resources. That is probably the biggest struggle for a legal aid attorney, is we cannot help everyone who reaches out to us. But we do an incredible job at assisting as many people as we can.”

SONYA

DEFINITION OF AN OVERACHIEVER

(part 1 of a 2-part interview)

Our community might not be blessed with Dr. Stevie DeJuan Springer’s presence and gifts had he not taken “a wrong turn at Albuquerque.” Alright, it wasn’t a “wrong turn,” but years ago, the multi-hyphenate physician, academic, and artist was simply visiting his brother and cousin for spring break from London’s Kingston University when a visit to UNM’s anthropology department got him an open music department audition that same day. After singing some arias and playing piano, Springer was offered a full ride for a master’s degree in music, which included a trip to a conservatory in Rome. He decided to stay in Albuquerque, obviously.

Whether it’s being a doctor with his own integrative medicine clinic, instructing as a music professor at UNM, sharing health advice on KRQE’s New Mexico Living show, or directing the choir of the One New Mexico Gospel Concert, it’s as if Springer has cloned himself, because he seems to be everywhere all at once.

To go way back before his arrival in Burque for a moment, though, Springer shares some dark family tree truth: His great-grandmother was abducted and enslaved and bore his grandmother in Texas. Her daughter, his mother, is a Cherokee Native from Oklahoma who met his father, an Afro-Cubano, in Texas. His youth was about going back and forth between Texas and New York. His surname, Springer, comes from his father taking his own mother’s last name. Despite dropping out of high school at 15 and striking out on his own, Springer later returned to earn his diploma and, by his own admission, became obsessed with education. He earned his way into small, private HBCU Huston-Tillotson University in Austin with the help of the Upward Bound Program, then commenced to double-major in things: music, technical writing, communications, and English. Soon, he earned master’s degrees in music and exercise science. By his own admission, “When I went back to school, I became this nerd where I just didn’t want to stop. It actually became a mental illness where I would come in contact with people and felt like I needed to prove myself.” Like he was making up lost time for those years he had dropped out.

With a library of sciences filling his head, Springer was able to enroll into a medical program, even after receiving a PhD in business. He dual-enrolled here at UNM and also at Quantum University in Hawaii, where students are able to decide which medical modalities to explore. His concentration is in integrative natural medicine, which combines Eastern and Western healthcare techniques.

“My actual degree lies under an osteopathic position. We do the exact same schooling as your medical doctor. The only difference is we focus on what the body’s able to naturally do for itself. In med school, like any doctor, we only receive maybe three and a half days on nutrition.” But in the direction he went, the entire program is on nutrition. When people go to their (Western medicine) doctor, they handle symptoms. But Springer was taught to “find out the root cause” of an illness, not just its symptoms.

At his private clinic, Springer says, 95% of his patients are between the ages of 22 and 27, “Because I advocate on behalf of young people. The number one thing I push is for people to want to care about their own health and understand the body is naturally designed to heal on its own.” Springer gets great word-ofmouth and his TV appearances probably don’t hurt, either. “Even doing a talk

WE CAN’T KEEP UP WITH DR. STEVIE DEJUAN SPRINGER, BUT WE TRIED

show [recently] in Florida, I’m talking about different ailments and how we need to be proactive in making sure that we’re not just popping a pill to handle the symptom. I use this analogy all the time: If your car has an oil leak, you take it to the shop [and] they find out where the oil leak is coming from.” They don’t just keep dumping more oil into a leaky car. Springer says after consulting with him, patients “start making the conscious decision to want to care.” They realize that the life they’re living is impairing what they can do and achieve.

Springer is clearly passionate about his work in integrative medicine. And as you read above, he’s about so much more than even that. Part two of his interview in next month’s Chronicles will shift attention from his “passion”—medicine, to his “gift”—music, and his “hobby”—fitness competition. How and why Dr. Springer juggles so many projects in his life will be explored further because we knew he’d be a fascinating subject to interview. See you next month!

© 2023 New Mexico Black Leadership Council 7

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

The first-ever Beyond the Chair Hair Flair Showcase popped eyes on the Westside. The event held on Saturday, September 16 at The Salt Yard West sported all kinds of hairdos, lavish fashion, bumping music, and good food and cheer.

The Beyond the Chair Initiative (BTC), chaired by Mylette Clark of Hair It Is, is an NMBLC-sponsored cohort of local Black beauty salon and barbershop owners. The members help uplift other salons and shops through community service, resource efforts, and social media campaigns. Because of the important position salons and barbershops have in the community, BTC has been involved in campaigns for voting rights, the Comcast/Xfinity Affordable Connectivity Program, school supplies, and the COVID 19 booster. The BTC uses their creative gifts and talents to

help beautify our communities inside and out—that’s style and substance! Peep more about the BTC at nmblc.org/ beyond-the-chair-initiative or email myletteBTC@gmail.com.

[We want] to inform Albuquerque there are Black stylists out here that are open to styling anyone’s hair. We love the art, we appreciate what it offers, and we like to celebrate it as much as we can.

Rhonie Haymon, stylist, Hair It Is in Abq

I flew out here to come support and it turned into a modeling gig. The biggest thing is really support; having the right people around you to help keep the stress levels down, keep you motivated to do bigger and better things, and networking and meeting new people.

— Rylee Wharepapa, model, office manager from Charlotte, NC

NMBLC FOLKS PICK THE BEST BLACK HALLOWEEN MOVIES

This zombie classic is one of Deputy Director Kindra Hill’s favorite horror movies. It starred a Black actor as the hero, a big deal in 1968. “The script didn’t even describe the character as Black,” says Kindra. “Duane Jones was cast because, as said by director George A. Romero, ‘Jones was the best actor we met to play Ben.’”

J.D.’S REVENGE

“Unconventional choice,” says UpLift Director Jack Champagne. Glynn Turman and Louis Gossett Jr. star in this 1976 horror Blaxploitation flick about a law student who gets possessed by the spirit of a WWII era Bourbon Street hustler. “It's just my kind of silly.”

EVE’S BAYOU

Not feeling the hard core horror vibe?

Lead Communications Coordinator Hal David Roberts has your back. This 1997 Southern gothic has a powerhouse cast: Jurnee Smollett, Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Diahann Carroll. It’s also got seriously dark themes. “I definitely watched it when I was too young.”

THEY CLONED TYRONE

“The craziest mash-up of sci-fi, comedy, horror, and Blackness I've seen since Get Out,” says Chronicles Managing Editor Sean Cardinalli. Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris, and John Boyega are the unlikely trio thrust into a government conspiracy caper. “It’s eerie and entertaining while acknowledging every Black viewer with a wry wink.”

GET OUT

…Now go get your own scary movie night poppin’!

Trailer IMDB Trailer IMDB Trailer IMDB IMDB IMDB

Happy Halloween!

Rhonie Haymon with Mika, Tae, Big T, and Jeremy

Rylee Wharepapa

Natalia Hernandez

Diamond Walker

Tiffany McKnight & Mylette Clark

Darkenya

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

CALLIN’ OUT FOR GIFT IDEAS! WE WANT TO HEAR FROM LOCAL BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES!

We know we know we know that fall just dropped. But the holidays ain’t far away at all.

For our November / December super-sized issue, we want to include a Holiday Gift Guide curated by our melanated business owners and entrepreneurs. It’s easy: Email us at UpLift@nmblc.org with the subject line “UPLIFT GIFT” and send us your favorite gift ideas for the holidays. We can all help each other out with getting somethin’ special for our family, friends, and coworkers. Questions? Include them in the email!