UpLift Chronicles April 2024 International District Edition v3i2

ONE NM GOSPEL CONCERT PAYS TRIBUTE TO BLACK AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

By Kristin Satterlee

When you ask Aria Gaston—a Las Vegas, Nevada-based singer-songwriter, vocal coach, and gospel talent—why gospel music is important to the Black American experience, she wants you to know that “there’s a reason we sing the way we sing” that goes all the way back.

Gaston points to the spiritual “Wade in the Water”: “That’s way old school, right? Come to find out … Those hymns were their own code.” It was illegal to teach enslaved people to read or write, so these coded songs—also known as map songs or signal songs— were important vehicles to communicate dangerous ideas and instructions. “Wade in the Water” instructed people fleeing slavery that they would need to travel through water to find freedom. Other songs like “Follow the Drinking Gourd” and “Steal Away” had their own meanings and were used regularly on the Underground Railroad. It’s said that “Sweet Chariot,” sung to let slaves know that they would be escaping soon, was Harriet Tubman’s favorite song.

Gospel still speaks to us today. “Gospel music is full of encouragement for ourselves. I feel like the depth of who we are is knowing in our hearts who

“ THERE IS SO MUCH FEELING AND DEPTH, SO MUCH THAT’S CONNECTED TO GOSPEL SONGS THAT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO SLAVERY TIMES”

— ARIA GASTON

God is, and that is why we are able to share such a strong message of hope: to tell people trouble don’t last always, and we are going to keep singing that until we are sweating,” Gaston explains.

If you’re looking for a chance to sing songs of encouragement and praise until you break out in a sweat, don’t miss the free One NM Gospel Concert on Sunday, April 28 at First Unitarian Church (3701 Carlisle Blvd NE) in Albuquerque. Gaston will be headlining, “creating a worshipful experience where people are changed and don’t leave the same.”

The One NM Gospel Concert is open to and meant for everyone. While the music may be deeply rooted in the Black American experience, Gaston is confident when she says, “Of course gospel can pull all races together.” She backs the statement up with years of experience singing to and with audiences of all stripes. “Gospel music has soul in it. People talk about how they can feel it. Whites, Blacks, [Hispanics]—it doesn’t matter who they are. When a person gets up there singing a gospel song, you’re gonna see tears running through their eyes.”

“Definitely, it will bring everybody together,” concludes Gaston.

ONE NM GOSPEL CONCERT

Sunday, April 28, 3:30pm

First Unitarian Church

3701 Carlisle Blvd NE

ariagaston.com

SPRING INTO A STATE OF WELLNESS

By Samantha Anne Carrillo

Just as the seasons change, so does individual health. Here in New Mexico during springtime, it’s important to note that those changes can be proactively engaged through a combination of knowledge, resilience, and the human ability to adapt to the ever-circling circumstances of life on Earth.

Knowledge is the key and in our current situation, it makes sense to know what’s going on in regard to health-related news you can use to flow like the seasons themselves. Let’s start out with prevention.

Prevention is a big part of creating a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

NM DOH Vaccine Portal

We all know that prevention is a big part of creating a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. With that in mind, here’s a reminder about vaccinations. According to officials with the New Mexico Department of Health, getting and staying vaccinated for COVID-19, the flu, Mpox, RSV and other preventable diseases is the best way to protect yourself. These vaccines are safe and effective and they lower your risk of infection, hospitalization, and death.

To make that process easier, NM DOH created a website, vaccine.doh.nm.gov, to help citizens get their vaccination appointments sorted out quickly and conveniently. Via this updated web portal, insured and uninsured users alike can engage the state database to choose a city, time, and provider, as well as the type of vaccine needed. Individuals can also view their individual vaccination record or click through to contact a scheduler by phone.

In other, equally important New Mexico health news with wide-ranging implications, the state Department of Health recently announced some frightening statistics, and, consequently, an updated health order with regard to syphilis in New Mexico. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to significant health complications if left untreated.

According to the department, “In 2022, the DOH reported a 660 percent increase in cases of congenital syphilis over the past five years, with 76 reported cases in that year alone. Disturbingly, there have been eight fetal deaths related to congenital syphilis reported to the DOH in 2023 to date.” State Department of Health Secretary Patrick Allen added, “The clock is ticking, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. This public health order is our urgent response to protect the health and lives of our children and the residents in our state.”

The Daily Lobo, the University of New Mexico student newspaper, also covered these alarming figures, reporting that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “New Mexico had the second highest syphilis rate in the United States in 2022 and ranked highest in the nation for congenital syphilis – an infection that occurs when a mother passes syphilis on to their fetus through pregnancy.”

As with vaccination, prevention is the key here. Janine Waters, STD program manager for the NM DOH, recently told reporters, “Our message is to get tested. We would like everyone to get a test at least once a year, regardless of what they think their risk is … If you don’t test, you don’t know.”

Monstera Productions, Pexels.com

GETTING TO YES: HB 293 & HOUSING AS A HUMAN RIGHT IN NEW MEXICO

By Cathryn McGill

Imagine a single-parent household with three dependent children receiving a 30-day eviction notice in the dead of winter—not for failing to pay rent, but due to the property owners’ absolute discretion over lease renewals.

This scenario, sadly familiar to many New Mexicans, underscores a harrowing reality: despite prioritizing housing, numerous residents find the soaring costs of rental housing unmanageable. With 60 percent of International District residents spending over 30 percent of their income on housing and faced with rental prices between $1,200 and $1,700 for a modest two-bedroom apartment, their challenge is exacerbated by stringent credit and income eligibility criteria.

The Uniform Owner Resident Relations Act, the guiding document for landlord/tenant relationships in New Mexico, has seen proposed amendments consistently fail across four legislative sessions. This impasse points to a broader issue: the lack of a principled negotiation framework, as advocated in Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton. This approach could facilitate the realization of housing as a human right for all New Mexicans.

In the 2024 Legislative Session, House Bill 293 (HB 293), championed by District 19 Rep. Janelle Anyanonu, appeared to be a viable, win-win solution for all parties. With its innovative public co-signing program, HB 293 aimed to dismantle the barriers faced by individuals with credit and income challenges, offering a pathway to financial stability through comprehensive support services, including housing counseling and credit repair. Despite the bill’s potential and broad appeal, it failed, highlighting the critical need for flexible problem-solving within the rigid framework of legislative processes concerning housing rights.

The journey of HB 293 underscores the stark divide between the non-negotiable need for affordable, stable housing and the legislative hurdles that hinder its realization. The bill’s failure emphasizes the imperative for principled negotiation—leveraging mutual interests, options for mutual gain, and objective criteria—to navigate these challenges effectively.

We are indebted to Rep. Anyanonu, who has exemplified principled negotiation in her tireless advocacy for HB 293. Her dedication, commitment to New Mexico’s citizens, and acknowledgment of housing as a fundamental right reflect the leadership and vision necessary to tackle the housing crisis. Thank you for “Getting To Yes” so quickly, Rep. Anyanonu.

HB 293’s narrative, through the lens of “Getting to Yes,” illustrates that addressing this wicked problem requires not only strategic legislative efforts but

also community engagement and support. By employing principled negotiation strategies and acknowledging the contributions of dedicated sponsors, we can and will advance policy alternatives to UORRA to ensure accessible, affordable housing for all New Mexicans—a collaborative endeavor underscored by the promise of impactful, negotiated solutions. In the prophetic words of songwriter Karen Carpenter, “we’ve only just begun.” Stay tuned and join us on April 11 for a meeting to demystify New Mexico’s complex legislative process.

D.R².I.V.E.

DEMYSTIFYING ROUNDHOUSE RULES: INTRODUCE • VOTE • ENACT

Jump into the driver’s seat with the New Mexico Black Leadership Council, Senator Harold Pope, Jr., Representative Janelle Anyanonu, and Representative Pamelya Herndon. Explore how citizens can steer change, navigate community needs, and accelerate transparent and effective change that’s all about the people, by the people, and for the people.

Thursday, April 11, 6:00pm–7:30pm

1314 Madeira Dr SE

To learn more about or register for this event, visit nmblc.org.

Rep. Janelle Anyanonu at the Roundhouse

Adolphe

Pierre-Louis

LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP REVISITED:

HOW NEW MEXICO HOUSING AND BROADBAND LEGISLATION FARED

By Shannon Yvonne Moreau

The 2024 New Mexico legislative session wrapped on Feb. 15. Bills not signed by the Governor by March 6 were pocket-vetoed, meaning the legislation’s won’t advance simply because it remained in committee. That was the case for many of the bills NMBLC followed that would have addressed the state’s housing and accessible internet needs. Here’s the status as of print time.

LEGISLATION ADDRESSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

HB 25 Housing Discrimination Based on Income

Sponsors: Rep. Kathleen Cates, D-Bernalillo & Sandoval

Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe

Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Bernalillo

Rep. Cristina Parajon, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Adds source of income to the list of unlawful housing discrimination practices in the Human Rights Act.

Status: House Commerce & Economic Development Committee

HB 195 Housing Fund & Changes

Sponsors: Rep. Linda Serrato, D-Santa Fe

Rep. Meredith A. Dixon, D-Bernalillo

Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Bernalillo

Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Expands the Opportunity Enterprise Act by adding housing to the list of projects eligible to receive loans from a revolving fund administered by the New Mexico Finance Mortgage Authority.

Status: Passed and signed by the Governor.

HB 260 MFA Affordable Housing Study

Sponsors: Rep. Rod Montoya, R-San Juan

Gist: Appropriates $500,000 for the Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) to conduct studies on locations in the state where affordable housing is needed, what properties are vacant, stateand locally owned land available for housing development, and the necessity of creating a fund for building infrastructure.

Status: House Health & Human Services Committee

HB 293 Creditworthiness Assistance Program

Sponsors: Rep. Janelle Anyanonu, D-Bernalillo Rep. Pamelya Herndon, D-Bernalillo

Rep. Kathleen Cates, D-Bernalillo & Sandoval

Rep. Cristina Parajon, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Appropriates $250,000 to add a creditworthiness assistance grant fund to the Affordable Housing Act.

Status: House Appropriations & Finance Committee, reported by committee with Do Not Pass but with a Do Pass recommendation on Committee Substitution.

SB 71 Create Office of Housing

Sponsors: Sen. Michael Padilla, D- Bernalillo

Gist: Creates an Office of Housing under the NM Mortgage Finance Authority to develop and update the state housing plan.

Status: Senate Finance Committee sans recommendation.

SB 216 NMFA Affordable Housing Projects

Sponsors: Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe

Gist: Amends the New Mexico Finance Authority Act to provide financing for affordable housing projects.

Status: Passed and signed by the Governor.

LEGISLATION ADDRESSING INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY

HM 46 Federal Affordable Connectivity Program

Sponsors: Rep. Debra M. Sariñana, D-Bernalillo

Rep. Tara L. Lujan, D-Santa Fe

Gist: A memorial requesting New Mexico’s congressional delegation support funding for the federal Affordable Connectivity Program.

Status: Passed and signed by House (does not require Governor’s signature).

SM

15 Broadband Work Group

Sponsors: Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Bernalillo

Gist: A memorial requesting the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion to convene a working group to study ways to get internet access to all New Mexico residents.

Status: Senate Calendar with a Do Pass recommendation.

SB

43 Utility Easements for Broadband

Sponsors: Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Authorizes use and sharing of utility easements for broadband internet throughout the state.

Status: Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee

SB 45 Broadband

Infrastructure

Sponsors: Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Bernalillo

Gist: Makes various amendments to acts and offices related to internet access, including the Broadband Access and Expansion Act and the Connect New Mexico Act.

Status: Senate Finance Committee without a recommendation.

CITY REDIRECTS TO ADDRESS EQUITY CANNABIS TAX REVENUE

By Samantha Anne Carrillo

There’s been a change in the way the city directs sales tax revenue generated in Albuquerque from recreational cannabis sales. That change, written as an amendment to city taxation statutes, aims to ensure that communities impacted by past cannabis prohibition—including communities of color, which have historically been affected more severely by such prohibition—will have a stake in the ways that tax money generated by recreational cannabis purchases gets used. According to City Councilor Klarissa Peña, who sponsored the ordinance enacting that change, those tax dollars will now be used to “give back to people who were negatively impacted when pot was illegal.”

When recreational cannabis sales were legalized on a statewide level in April 2021, the state

of New Mexico established an excise tax on recreational cannabis sales. That tax rate is 12 percent until July 1, 2025 and is set to gradually increase to 18 percent by July 1, 2030. Revenue generated by this statewide tax goes into the state’s general fund. At present, the state has not announced plans to earmark those funds for any specific program. According to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration, medical and recreational adultuse cannabis sales in the state topped $1 billion in March 2024.

Meanwhile in Albuquerque, the City Council has enacted a plan to use the 7.63 percent gross receipts taxes from recreational cannabis to foster support and advocacy among consumers and throughout the metro. Back in December 2021, the City began working with consultants to determine

how that new revenue source should be directed in support of both consumers and the community.

The result of that working group report was an ordinance passed unanimously by the City Council and signed into law by Mayor Tim Keller in late-November that directs “Tax Revenue Generated By Legal Recreational Marijuana Sales To A Permanent Marijuana Equity And Community Reinvestment Fund For The Benefit, Health, Safety, Welfare, And Quality Of Life For Those Who Have Been Negatively Impacted By The Criminalization Of Marijuana.”

The goal of this fund is clearly stated in the new law, Peña told KRQE News, reiterating that the legislation will be used “for prevention programs, education programs, and we’re also going to use it for treatment and housing.”

BYRON POWDRELL’S GOT THE BEAT: ON EDUCATIONAL FUTURES, RADIO & R&B

By Samantha Anne Carrillo

For nearly a decade now, 99.9 FM The Beat has transmitted adult contemporary R&B— spanning old-school classics of the 1970s to hits from the latest SZA album—along with local news, music and community programming over Albuquerque’s airwaves.

Future Broadcasters founder and CEO Byron Powdrell has been immersed in broadcasting—from radio to television and back again—in Albuquerque since the late-1980s. What differentiates Powdrell from many in the industry is his combined experience in radio’s technical and engineering side alongside front-of-house programming. In April, Future Broadcasters launches its high school radio pilot project at Highland High School, to which Powdrell brings industry experience plus what he learned literally building low-power FM radio station 99.9 FM The Beat from the ground up.

The mission of Future Broadcasters is mentoring youth in the art of radio through hands-on opportunities for them to learn and gain experience. Employing science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) as access points guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking, the high school radio project is about igniting creativity and creating new media and educational futures right here in New Mexico.

Powdrell’s family migrated to New Mexico from West Texas in the 1950s and he worked at his father’s venture, Powdrell’s BBQ, until he transitioned into the world of broadcasting. Throughout the decades, Powdrell has served in a number of volunteer roles and appointments in Albuquerque. In the 1990s, Powdrell served on the Urban Enhancement Trust Fund Committee. More recently, Powdrell served as Chair of the City of Albuquerque’s Head Start Policy Council and Co-Chairman of the City of Albuquerque Community Policing Council for the Foothills Command.

Powdrell also competed in campaigns to represent District 9 on the Albuquerque City Council in 2017 and 2021. No stranger to community volunteerism and the political arena, Powdrell has hands full with Future Broadcasters, 99.9 FM The Beat and the Highland High School Radio Project. Powdrell assisted New Mexico Black Leadership Council Founder and CEO Cathryn McGill with applying for and obtaining an FCC license for the Council’s future low-power FM radio station, 91.1 FM. With that FCC license now granted, the Council has three years to build a radio tower and plan its programming.

Stay up to date on Powdrell’s projects by following 99.9 FM on Facebook and Instagram @thebeatabq. Follow Future Broadcasters on Facebook @Futurebroadcasters and Instagram @wild99hd3. Check out The Beat by tuning your analog or digital dial to 99.9 FM or visiting 99thebeatfm.com

99thebeatfm.com

AMERICAN FICTION DEEP DIVE: THE DILEMMA OF BLACK CREATIVES AND SUCCESS

By Shannon Yvonne Moreau

In the Oscar-nominated film American Fiction which won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay—a Black author faces a downward career spiral. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright, nominated for Actor in a Leading Role) has his latest book rejected with a request he write something “more Black.” Meanwhile, fellow author Sintara Golden’ (Issa Rae) book We’s Lives in Da Ghetto is a bestseller and lauded as authentic. Frustrated, Monk writes My Pafology, full of Black stereotypes and tropes, in response. He’s sure his critics will see the error of their ways and back off. The opposite happens—an editor loves the book and offers him beaucoup bucks. Monk grapples with what it takes for a Black creative to be successful, and whether that’s synonymous with “selling out.” The movie underscores the fact that, all too often, Black folks gotta do what we gotta do. There’s no shame in that, yet it takes its toll on health and well-being.

Director Cord Jefferson said that before he’d even heard of Erasure, the Percival Everett novel upon which American Fiction is based, he got a note from an executive about a script he’d written: to make his character “Blacker.” I’m reminded of Gabrielle Union’s cheerleading captain character Isis in Bring It On. The original script contained “Black” language that bore no resemblance to actual Black American slang. “I am not the most Ebonically gifted person, but I recognize a made-up word when I see it,” Union writes in We’re Going to Need More Wine. “I worked hard to make Isis a real character. It is interesting to me that when people reenact my scenes, they turn me back into that caricature the director and I consciously took steps to avoid. They snap their fingers and say, ‘It’s already been broughten.’” That “broughten” line isn’t even in the movie. Cliches often override reality, and it’s exhausting.

Monk’s lucrative offer for his joke manuscript comes in the middle of a crushing familial health and financial crisis. The situation’s not uncommon

and it’s exacerbated for Black Americans by factors such as health disparities and the severing of opportunities to build generational wealth. Monk faces a hard choice: soul integrity or physical care. Is it really “selling out” when it’s about doing what it takes to provide for your family and survive?

Monk is psychologically and emotionally tormented, which impacts the relationships he needs to thrive as a Black creative. Given the ongoing effects of oppression Blacks have to deal with, it’s especially cruel to add the shame of “selling out” to a plate already spilling over with burdens. We all make tough choices in life, but we can balance them with compassion for ourselves and others. Give a nod: I see you, we’re in this.

Mental health is critical to thriving. Artistic expression is crucial for an evolving, conscious society. Despite pushback to be mainstream, palatable, respectable, and to “correctly” represent, it’s imperative that Black folks keep writing and telling our stories.

As Cord Jefferson said, “It’s up to the people who make art, the people who make culture, to remind us that actually we need to mend these issues or else we’re really in a lot of trouble.”

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES:

New Mexico Crisis and Access Line: nmcrisisline.com

Better Help: betterhelp.com

Talk Space: talkspace.com

The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: borislhensonfoundation.org

Psychology Today Therapists in New Mexico Search

Page: psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/new-mexico

Psychology Today Therapists in Albuquerque Search

Page: psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/nm/albuquerque

WRITING GROUPS:

Land of Enchantment Romance Authors (NM Chapter of Romance Writers of America): leranm.com

Southwest Writers: southwestwriters.com

Women’s Thriller Writers: womensthrillerwriters.com

Croak and Dagger (NM Chapter of Sisters in Crime): croak-and-dagger.com

New Mexico Chapter of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators: scbwi.org/regions/newmexico

National Novel Writing Month: nanowrimo.org

New Mexico Women in Film: nmwif.com