Author: Shannon Moreau

  • 2024 Juneteenth Events in New Mexico

    2024 Juneteenth Events in New Mexico

    2024 Juneteenth Celebrations New Mexico

    For Juneteenth last year, I checked out the celebration at the City of Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza, then headed to the movie theater and met my homies for a showing of The Blackening. The movie, co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem), opened on June 16, 2023, nearly two years to the day after President Biden established Juneteenth as a US national holiday on June 17, 2021.

    The Blackening is a horror comedy about a group of Black college friends who face deadly consequences when they reunite on Juneteenth for a weekend cookout. The holiday that’s often met upon mention with “What’s Juneteenth?” officially went mainstream, y’all. Or, at least, more mainstream than it’s ever been. Juneteenth as a holiday is utilized in this movie the same way previous mainstream entertainment set plot events around the 4th of July or summer vacation.

    It’s fitting that The Blackening, aka the Juneteenth movie, is a blend of horror and comedy. Horror is appropriate because the arrival of African Americans in what was then the British colony of Virginia and the flourishing of what would become the United States of America are based on the horrific and inhumane transatlantic slave trade. The Declaration of Independence extols the idea that humans have the right to life and liberty but, at the time of its writing, the brutal enslavement of human beings thrived. 

    No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed.”

    — “The 1619 Project”, New York Times Magazine, August 18, 2019

    Juneteenth itself originated on a tragic error. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last of the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed by Union troops that slavery had been abolished via the Emancipation Proclamation, two years earlier. Ain’t that some ish? It’s also why Juneteenth was originally a regional Texan event.

    “He had to ask Rusty what Juneteenth was, and he was right, it was some country thing.

    ‘Juneteenth is when those slaves in Texas found out slavery was over,’ Rusty said. ‘My cousins used to throw a party to celebrate.’”

    Harlem Shuffle, by Colson Whitehead

    Why is the comedy aspect of The Blackening so fitting? Peep this list of ills commented on (either seriously or humorously) in the movie:

    • The legacy of Jim Crow oppression 
    • Police brutality
    • Social isolation
    • Homophobia in the Black community
    • Misogynoir
    • Pressure to adhere to a rigid, artificial definition of one’s race instead of expression of one’s individuality
    • Overreliance on junk food and the resulting health maladies

    As humans and especially as Black Americans, we balance horror with humor, and create joy and spiritual sustenance wherever and whenever we can. If not for the laughter, we’d be crying all the time. 

    Like comedy, horror has an ability to provoke thought and further the conversation on real social issues in a very powerful way.”

    -Jordan Peele, The Daily Show interview

    Keep the American tradition of honoring Juneteenth with community and fun going at one of these upcoming local celebrations. The NMBLC events calendar has a wealth of community Juneteenth celebrations hosted by groups throughout New Mexico. Keep scrolling for the Juneteenth events rundown. Check back here or on our events calendar as more 2024 Juneteenth celebrations get added.

    2024 Juneteenth Celebrations in New Mexico

    A Conversation with “The Grandmother of Juneteenth”

    When: Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 5:30 – 7pm
    Where: St Francis Auditorium in Santa Fe
    What else:

    2024 Juneteenth in New Mexico

    Juneteenth Celebration on the Westside

    When: Saturday, June 8, 2024,  9am – 8pm
    Where: Open Space Visitor Center, Albuquerque
    What else:

    • Come join us as we honor the rich deep history of Black Americans and celebrate the present-day culture of all African diasporas and African descendants. We will have conversations about where we come from, where we are, and where we’re going.
    • 10am -12pm What Happened to Blackdom? Presented by Dr. Timothy Nelson
    • 1pm-3pm Anthems of Belonging: For a New America (Music, dance, poetry) – Presented by Hakim Bellamy
    • Free Storytelling, Face Painting, and Entertainment
    • Food trucks will be onsite.
    • FREE
    • EVENT LINK: https://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/open-space/events/juneteenth-celebration

    Juneteenth Gospel Extravaganza

    When: Sunday, June 9, 2024,  3 – 6pm
    Where: New Hope Gospel Church, Albuquerque
    What else: EVENT LINK: https://nmblc.org/events/juneteenth-gospel-extravaganza/

    Juneteenth Celebration: Uplifting Our Successes – Las Cruces

    When: Friday, June 14, 2024, 4 – 6pm
    Where: NMSU Corbett Center
    What else: EVENT LINK: https://nmblc.org/events/celebrating-juneteenth-uplifting-our-successes/

    Juneteenth Freedom Flow: Yoga in the Park

    When: Saturday, June 15, 2024, 9 – 10am
    Where: Academy Hills Park, Albuquerque
    What else:

    Community Juneteenth 2024 in Downtown Albuquerque

    When: Saturday, June 15, 2024, 11am – 11pm
    Where: Civic Plaza, Albuquerque
    What else: EVENT LINK: https://nmblc.org/events/nm-juneteenth/

    Blaq Pride 2024: Afrofuturism Now

    When: Saturday, June 15, 2024, 12pm-5pm, 9pm
    Where: Civic Plaza, Albuquerque Social Club
    What else: Take the Blaq Pride Allyship Challenge and experience an interactive art exhibit, Blaq Pride performance preview and The Chocolate Dolls’ “Black to the Future” drag show.
    EVENT LINK: https://www.instagram.com/p/C722SkkpJHI

    New Mexico 2024 Black Business Summit: Advancing Economic Freedom

    When: Saturday, June 15, 2024,  9am – 5pm
    Where: Albuquerque Convention Center
    What else

    • Business Incubation: Options to Grow and Stabilize New Business
    • The Future of Business and Community: Formations for the Future
    • 11:15am – 12:45pm Opening Ceremony for the NM Juneteenth Celebration!
    • Doing Business with Big Business: Contracting and Procurement
    • Building your Freedom Beyond New Mexico: International Trade and Expansion
    • Lights, Camera, What About Business?: What Film & TV Industry Means for NM Biz
    • Networking Opportunities
    • 5pm – 11pm NM Juneteenth Celebration
    • Free. Sign up for the New Mexico 2024 Black Business Summit.
    2024 Juneteenth Celebration New Mexico Santa Fe

    Juneteenth Santa Fe!

    When: Saturday, June 15, 2024, 3-9pm
    Where: Santa Fe Plaza
    What else:

    Juneteenth Gospel Showcase Las Cruces

    When: Saturday, June 15, 2024, 2pm
    Where: Atkinson Recital Hall
    What else: EVENT LINK: https://nmblc.org/events/las-cruces-juneteenth-gospel-showcase/

    Juneteenth and Fathers Day Celebration

    When: Sunday, June 16, 2024, 11am – 5pm
    Where: Wilson Park
    What else:

    Juneteenth Golf Classic

    When: Wednesday, June 19, 2024
    Where: Sandia Golf Club
    What else:

    Afrosphere Juneteenth Celebration

    When: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 7pm-close
    Where: Sister Bar (407 Central Ave NW)
    What else:
    DJ Ryan Demond & DJ Jaxsun Planet spinning Afrobeats, Afro house, hip-hop, soca, amapiano, R&B, funk & more
    Spotlighting Black-owned Businesses and community leaders
    Uniting all of us to enjoy music, performance and dance in downtown Albuquerque

    EVENT LINK: https://nmblc.org/events/afrosphere-juneteenth-celebration

    Juneteenth Jazz and Arts Festival in Las Cruces

    When: Thursday, June 20 – Sunday, June 23, 2024
    Where: Various venues in Las Cruces
    What else:

    Juneteenth Freedom Day in Rio Rancho

    When: Saturday, June 22, 2024, 10am – 2pm
    Where: Haynes Community Center and Park, Rio Rancho
    What else:


    Connect with NMBLC on Social

    Read the UpLift Chronicles: https://nmblc.org/uplift-chronicles/

    Shannon Moreau

    Shannon Moreau is the editor for NMBLC’s EQ Blog

  • Best Black Christmas Songs Picked by NMBLC

    Best Black Christmas Songs Picked by NMBLC

    Best Black Christmas Songs NMBLC

    Get in the holiday spirit with the New Mexico Black Leadership Council’s top Black Christmas songs list.

    It’s that time of year. The staff of NMBLC put together our list of the top Christmas and holiday songs by Black artists. With a mix of the old and the new, we selected childhood favorites, spiritual classics, romantic serenades and odes to winter. Scroll through our playlist to get in the holiday spirit and start humming along to some of the best Black Christmas songs ever. Then take our poll at the end of this post to vote on your favorite! The Black Christmas song for 2023 winner will be shared on social media.

    “Snow” by Leslie Odom, Jr.

    Showcasing Leslie Odom Jr.’s silky smooth vocals, “Snow” gives vibes of a quartet singing a cappella on the street corner as you rush through snow-plowed streets toward home. It instantly sounds familiar, like it’s already been in the ether, making it a modern holiday classic.

    “All Alone on Christmas” by Darlene Love

    This one’s a total jam. Not surprising, given that it was written by Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band and performed by Darlene Love with members of both The E Street Band and The Miami Horns. Between the rhythm, the Motown callbacks, Love’s powerhouse gospel shout, and Clarence Clemons’s inimitable sax solos, this tune will have you dancing around the Christmas tree.

    “Mary, Did You Know” by Mary J. Blige

    In this ballad written for Mother Mary herself, Mary J. Blige’s rich, soulful voice couldn’t be more perfect. Her vocals run over the bittersweet piano melody like a river, soaring and dipping and holding steady in all the right places.

    “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by The Jackson 5

    Released in 1970 on the critically acclaimed and #1 charting Jackson 5’s Christmas Album, this childhood favorite is still popular with our readers.

    “Feels Different” by Brandy

    For something completely different (see what we did there?), the first track on Brandy’s 2023 album Christmas with Brandy has a lush 90s R&B sound with a sick groove that underscores the darker side of the holiday season: loneliness. A breakup that would usually be survivable hits much harder during the Yuletide season. Co-written by Brandy, it’s a new and fresh addition to the Christmas song catalog. 

    “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt

    I mean, really. This one’s a no brainer. As far as we’re concerned, Eartha Kitt’s version is the only version of “Santa Baby.” 

    “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey

    In her memoir, Mariah Carey said that when she conceived this song she was going for vintage Christmas happiness, something that would capture joy and crystallize it forever, and gift the world with a Christmas classic. She did that.

    “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway

    December 9th, 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Donny Hathaway’s revered and beloved holiday anthem. Rhino commemorated with the release of the first official video for the song.

    Your Turn! Vote for your Favorite Black Christmas Song

    Vote for your favorite Black Christmas song! You can select up to 2 songs. We’ll post the winner on our Facebook and Instagram accounts right before Christmas.


    NMBLC is participating in the New Mexico Local News Fund’s 2023 Matching Campaign. This means any donation you make to NMBLC through December 31st, 2023, will be automatically matched by NM Local Local News Fund. Click the donate button below to contribute!

    Donation Matching NM Local News Button

    Editor’s Note: This is the last blog post of the year for the EQ Online. We’ll see you in 2024 for more great posts from NMBLC!


    Connect with NMBLC on Social
    Read the UpLift Chronicles:

    https://nmblc.org/uplift/

    Subscribe to the UpLift Chronicles
    Shannon Moreau

    Shannon Moreau is the editor for NMBLC’s EQ Blog

  • Get Health Insurance in New Mexico During Open Enrollment 

    Get Health Insurance in New Mexico During Open Enrollment 

    Open enrollment for health insurance in New Mexico runs through December 7 for Medicare and through January 15 for New Mexico health insurance plans.

    Updated November 8, 2023.

    The New Mexico Black Leadership Council has the breakdown on open enrollment and health insurance in New Mexico.

    What Is Open Enrollment 

    Open enrollment is when you can change your health care plan for the following year or sign up for healthcare benefits for the first time. It happens every year in the November / December timeframe and affects health insurance benefits for the following year. Open enrollment for 2024 healthcare coverage in New Mexico is happening now for coverage beginning January 1. 

    For New Mexicans who do not have insurance through an employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or another federal program, the place to go to look for healthcare plans is beWellNM. beWellNM was established under the Affordable Care Act passed under the Obama administration.

    New Mexico Residents on Medicare

    Open enrollment for Medicare runs now through December 7th. Medicare recipients can change health plans for 2024. Those happy with their current plan don’t need to re-enroll. 

    Open Enrollment and Medicare

    Enrollees can also sign up for a Part D prescription plan to cover prescriptions, which basic Medicare doesn’t cover. Other options are a Medicare Supplemental Plan and a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Advantage plans offer original Medicare plus additional benefits such as prescription coverage in one plan.

    To find out more about Medicare, go to medicare.gov. This is the legit, official website for Medicare. 

    VIDEO. Watch this tutorial on how to search for a Medicare Advantage Plan:

    People qualifying for Medicare for the first time can sign up during the period three months before and three months after the month they turn 65. After qualifying for the first time, enrollees have three months after their effective date to change their plan if they don’t like it.

    VIDEO. Watch the NM Aging and Long-Term Services Department’s presentation on Medicare open enrollment.

    One of the best resources for help getting Medicare are the federally funded State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP), where trained volunteers can help you compare plans. New Mexico’s SHIP is administered by the New Mexico Aging & Disability Resource Center (NMADRC) which is part of the NM Aging and Long-Term Services Department. SHIP offers planning tools, in person counseling events, call assistance, and appointments.

    Editor’s Note: I recently attended one of these in person events and it was totally worth the drive and hour-long wait (bring something to read!). The counselor gave me information specific to my situation that wasn’t obvious from the packet I received in the mail.

    To get help with Medicare in New Mexico, contact the New Mexico Aging & Disability Resource Center at 1-800-432-2080 or at www.aging.nm.gov.

    Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

    Each pharmacy negotiates drug costs with their suppliers, so the cost of your drugs can vary from pharmacy to pharmacy. That’s why it’s advantageous to go through the prescription drug comparison exercise on the Medicare website. The following tutorial shows how to do that, step-by-step.

    VIDEO. Watch this tutorial on how to choose a Medicare drug plan:

    Medicare Fraud Alert

    Be on the alert for Medicare scams. Medicare will never call to ask you for your Medicare number. Treat your Medicare and social security numbers like you would a credit card. If you suspect Medicare fraud, call NMADRC at 1-800-432-2080.

    BeWellNM Health Insurance in New Mexico

    New Mexico residents who don’t have medical insurance through an employer, Medicare, or Medicaid, can sign up for a health insurance plan on the New Mexico beWellnm health exchange. Providers offering plans on the beWellnm exchange are listed below:

    • Ambetter from Western Sky Community Care 
    • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico 
    • Molina Health Care of New Mexico, Inc.  
    • Presbyterian Health Plan
    Health insurance in New Mexico photo of Black youth high fiving a health care worker

    Many New Mexicans qualify for insurance at low to no-cost plans. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Biden in 2022, lowers prescription drug costs and health care costs. Find out more about affordable health care plans in New Mexico,

    For more information on New Mexico Health insurance providers, go to https://www.bewellnm.com/getting-started/tips-on-choosing-a-qualified-health-plan/

    To get help choosing a plan and going through the enrollment process, schedule an appointment with a beWellnm insurance broker: https://www.bewellnm.com/certified-assister/

    Editor’s note: Contacting an insurance broker is very helpful for finding what plans are available, the plan that best suits your needs, and what tax credits you qualify for.

    Mental Health Care for New Mexicans

    New legislation provides expanded mental health resources for New Mexicans on the state health care exchange. This means there is no out-of-pocket cost for mental health services for those on a beWellnm health care plan. This is a result of Senate Bill “No Behavioral Health Cost Sharing” bill signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham. The bill prohibits health insurers on state administered plans from charging consumers for behavioral health services. It’s in effect through 2026.

    Losing Healthcare Coverage

    If you currently have health insurance but end up losing it for some reason, you can sign up for insurance on the beWellnm exchange outside of the open enrollment period. Or, if you become newly eligible for insurance, you can also sign up outside of open enrollment. This is called a Special Enrollment Period due to a qualifying event. Losing health insurance coverage, getting married, having a baby, or becoming a U.S. citizen are qualifying events. In this case, you must sign up within sixty (60) days of the date of the qualifying event.

    How to Get Started with Open Enrollment for Health Insurance

    Open enrollment for a New Mexico state health plan runs through January 15th. To sign up for health insurance on the state health exchange beWellnm, go to https://www.bewellnm.com/enrollment/open-enrollment/

    Open enrollment for Medicare runs through December 7. To get help signing up for Medicare in New Mexico, go to https://aging.nm.gov/consumer-elder-rights/aging-disability-resource-center-adrc/medicare

    Or to the federal Medicare website: https://www.medicare.gov/

    New Mexico Conference on Aging

    The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department is holding a two day conference designed to help seniors, caregivers,and specialists learn and network. It’s November 13 & 14, 2023, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Learn more about the New Mexico Conference on Aging.


    Connect with NMBLC on Social
    Read the UpLift Chronicles:

    https://nmblc.org/uplift/

    Subscribe to the UpLift Chronicles
    Shannon Moreau

    Shannon Moreau is the Editor of the NMBLC EQ Blog

  • Best Black Halloween Movies Picked by NMBLC

    Best Black Halloween Movies Picked by NMBLC

    Just in time for Halloween weekend, the New Mexico Black Leadership Council folks share their favorite Black Halloween movies.

    This week on the blog, NMBLC picks the five best Black Halloween movies to get your spooky season movie night right. The article “Talkin’ to the Screen on Halloween” first appeared in the October 2023 edition of NMBLC’s monthly newspaper, the UpLift Chronicles.

    For more great articles about the people, places, and happenings of New Mexico’s Black communities, subscribe to the UpLift Chronicles.

    The following piece was written by Shannon Moreau.

    Talkin’ to the Screen on Halloween

    NMBLC Folks Pick the Best Black Halloween Movies

    Night of the Living Dead Movie Poster

    Night of the Living Dead

    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

    JDs Revenge Movie Poster

    “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

    Eve's Bayou Movie Poster

    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

    They Cloned Tyrone Movie Poster

    “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

    Get Out Movie Poster

    “I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this,” says Cathryn McGill, NMBLC Founder/CEO. “But it was FIYAH!!!!” Jordan Peele’s directorial debut made a star of Daniel Kaluuya and spawned deep conversations about racial microaggressions. “I know so many people who are drinking the tea and living in the sunken place.”  

    Now go get your own scary movie night poppin’! And Happy Halloween!

    What’s your favorite Halloween movie? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram!


    Connect with NMBLC on Social
    Read the UpLift Chronicles:

    https://nmblc.org/uplift/

    Subscribe to the UpLift Chronicles
    Shannon Moreau

    Shannon Moreau is the editor for NMBLC’s EQ Blog

Translate »