Join us in welcoming the latest Black owned businesses in New Mexico to join the NMBLC online listing!
Industries represented on this list of Black owned businesses in New Mexico include legal services and janitorial services. Check out the latest listings below and then go to our online directory to view even more companies. If you want to submit your Black owned business, go to the online directory and complete the quick and easy form!
Blackdom Productions Ltd Co., educational services specializing in history : New Mexico Black History, African Diaspora, US West History, Blacks in the West, Borderlands, New Mexico Black Homestead. Santa Fe. Website: https://afrofrontier.com
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass designated February 14 as his birthday, and that’s another reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and went on to be an influential anti-slavery and women’s rights activist. He never knew when his actual birthday was. Many enslaved Americans didn’t. As Douglass wrote in his 1845 autobiography:
“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. . . . I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvest-time, cherry-time, spring-time, or fall-time.”
NBY332340 Frontispiece and title page from, ‘Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by himself’, published by The Anti-Slavery Office, Boston, 1845 (litho) by American School, (19th century); lithograph; Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois, USA; (add. info.: Frederick Douglass (c.1818-95) American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer); American, out of copyright
He goes on to describe how this lack of knowledge caused him a lot of pain in his childhood. After all, all the white children could tell their ages.
All Douglass knew was that the year of his birth was 1818. And the only reason he knew that was because, in 1835, he overheard the plantation owner mention that Douglass was seventeen years old.
Asking about his actual birthday got him zero answers. Instead, the plantation owner told Douglass that his questions were “improper and impertinent, and evidence of a restless spirit”.
That last part had some truth in it. Douglass tried to escape the bonds of slavery several times throughout his young adulthood. In September of 1838, he made it to the free state of New York.
His description of how he felt after his successful escape demonstrates the double-edged sword of this existence. On the one hand: “It was a moment of the highest excitement I ever experienced.” On the other hand: “I was yet liable to be taken back, and subjected to all the tortures of slavery. This in itself was enough to damp the ardor of my enthusiasm.”
Frederick Douglass spent the rest of his life fighting for the abolition of slavery and the rights of women. As a free man, he created what had been denied him all his life: a birthday. He estimated that he was born in February, and decided to celebrate it on February 14th.
NMBLC is your spot to find all the happenings for Black History Month in New Mexico.
February is Black History Month in the United States. Here at the New Mexico Black Leadership Council (NMBLC), we say that Black History is all year, all around us, even when we don’t know it. Black History Month in New Mexico kicked into gear at the University of New Mexico with the Africana Studies Kick Off Brunch on January 28, 2023.
UNM students who participated in the Africana Studies Kick Off Brunch. In the front row, Kaelyn Moon, served as Brunch MC and Charles Simon was the 2023 Africana Studies Student Awardee. Photo Credit: UNM African American Student Services
In 2023, NMBLC is shouting out all the amazing and fun community events happening in New Mexico for Black History Month and beyond. Our goal is to collect and post all the events we can find on our community events calendar so that you know what’s up.
Friday, February 10, 2023, 10:30pm: The Unsettling.
Tuesday – Thursday, February 14 – 16, 2023, 8pm: Love Jones presented by NM Entertainment
Saturday, February 18, 1pm: Free at Last: A Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Short Documentary presented by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of New Mexico
Where: Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM
What else: The first feature of the new series Las Cruces Stories about beloved and dedicated teacher Mr. Clarence Fielder. More information at the link below:
What else: The Office of Black Community Engagement hosts this event to celebrate Black History and provide the latest updates from the office. More information at the link below:
New year, new office! The New Mexico Black Leadership Council just bought a building in the International District and we’re settling into our new digs.
For the past several years, the New Mexico Black Leadership Council (NMBLC) had headquarters in Albuquerque’s International District at 1258 Ortiz Drive SE. On January 10, 2023, NMBLC closed on its new location at 1314 Madeira Dr SE. We’re still in the International District, just a few blocks away from the old place.
NMBLC’S New Office Building at 1314 Madeira Dr SE in Albuquerque, New Mexico
As NMBLC’s mission expanded, so did our physical space. Staff offices, a community meeting room, the UpLift Initiative, and the Roots Summer Leadership Academy (RSLA) were all at the Ortiz Building. NMBLC had hoped to buy the building and add a training and resource hub. In the fall, the owners of the Ortiz Building accepted an offer from an out of state buyer. Our lease was terminated at the end of 2022.
NMBLC Crew Moving on Out and Up
When one door closes, another opens. NMBLC bought an office building! It’s north of Gibson, between Twisters and Stripes Burritos, and across from Sonic. We’re still close to where we had our outdoor RSLA camp and Pamoja Run/Walk. We’re still here to help out our ID neighbors.
Another benefit of the move is that NMBLC ended a troubling landlord tenant situation. The management company at our previous location routinely ignored basic things such as keeping up the restrooms and fixing the heating and cooling. This situation is changing for the better with the new building. We own the building and will contract with companies that deliver on their services.
We’re sad to leave our old home. But we’re excited to start the new year with a new space. Stop by and see us!
NMBLC’s New Address
New Mexico Black Leadership Council 1314 Madeira Dr SE Albuquerque, NM 87108
Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2023 is January 16th. The New Mexico Black Leadership Council has your rundown of celebrations happening around New Mexico.
The bill to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday was first introduced to Congress in 1979. It didn’t pass. One argument against the bill was the cost. The second argument was that King wasn’t worthy of a holiday. At the time, the only two people recognized with a holiday were George Washington and Christopher Columbus.
That first bill may have died, but the drive to establish MLK Day didn’t. You know that version of “Happy Birthday” that always pops out when Black people are celebrating? That song was written and produced by Stevie Wonder. He released it in the summer of 1981 as part of the campaign to make MLK Day real.
Six million citizens signed the petition for MLK day. President Reagan initially opposed the bill, but approved the bill in 1983. Though King’s birthday is January 15, MLK day is always on the third Monday of January.
Happy birthday to you, Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK Day is January 16th this year. Check the links below for MLK events happening around the state of New Mexico.
Celebrate the seven days of Kwanzaa with food, community, and creativity.
In the season two premiere of the HBO comedy Insecure, Issa Dee is spiraling out from a break up with her long term boyfriend. She devises a scheme to get him to come see her, then practices how she‘ll act in the event he does. She tries out several different personas, speeches, and outfits in front of her bedroom mirror.
“This reminds me of the fifth day of Kwanzaa. Oobija. Ilani. Booyakasha.”
—Insecure, S2 Ep1
The joke is twofold.
One: Issa is invoking the principles of Kwanzaa to get her boyfriend back.
Two: she doesn’t know what the principles of Kwanzaa are, so she spews some vaguely African-sounding words that she thinks could be related to Kwanzaa.
Even though Kwanzaa is a holiday that was created by an African-American for African-Americans, it’s often the case that African-Americans can’t rattle off the meaning, origins, or principles of Kwanzaa at the drop of a hat. That’s okay. We got you. Keep reading for your guide to all things Kwanzaa.
The Origins of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was created by professor Maulana Karenga to unite and empower the African American community in the wake of the Watts Rebellion. It’s modeled after African harvest traditions and provides African Americans a way to honor the culture and heritage that was ripped away from them during the slave trade. Kwanzaa runs for seven days, from December 26th through January 1st. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili expression matunda ya kwanza, which means “first fruits of the harvest.” First celebrated in 1966, it’s now estimated that 30 million people worldwide celebrate Kwanzaa.
The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is based on seven principles, one for each day of the holiday.
Umoja: Unity
Kujichagulia: Self-determination
Ujima: Collective work and responsibility
Ujamaa: Cooperative economics
Nia: Purpose
Kuumba: Creativity
Imani: Faith
The Seven Symbols of Kwanzaa
Seven symbols represent the principles honored during the holiday.
Mazao: Crops, symbolizing a community harvest. Anything grown from the earth’s soil can represent a crop.
Mkeka: Mat, symbolizing the foundation of the past to build lives in the present.
Muhindi: Corn, symbolizing fertility and family.
Kinara: Candleholder, the most recognizable icon of Kwanzaa, symbolizing ancestry. It holds three red candles, three green candles, and one black candle. Some online Black owned businesses selling Kinaras: The Black Art Depot and It’s a Black Thang.
Mishumaa Saba: Seven candles, symbolizing the sun’s power to return after the darkness of winter. The colors are from the Pan-African flag: red (the struggle), black (the people), and green (the future). The candles are placed in the Kinara.
Kikombe Cha Umoja: Unity cup, used to pour liquid honoring the ancestors and for communal drinking. It’s typically displayed with the Kinara.
Zawadi: Gifts, given on the seventh day of Kwanzaa.
Ways to Celebrate Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a holiday that anybody can celebrate, not just African Americans. Read on for some ways to honor this holiday.
Meals
Meals play an important role in Kwanzaa celebrations. The sixth day of Kwanzaa, December 31st, is marked with Kurama, the large feast. Meals are a great way to explore and enjoy various African-American, African, Caribbean, and South American dishes. Mac and cheese, anyone?
Light a candle each day to highlight that day’s Kwanzaa principle. Breathe meaning into the principles by reciting words or poetry by your favorite African American writer, leader, or activist.
Help the New Mexico Black Leadership Council move into its new office space December 19, 2022.
NMBLC needs volunteers for the upcoming office move. For the past several years, the New Mexico Black Leadership Council (NMBLC) had its headquarters in the center of Albuquerque’s International District at 1258 Ortiz Drive SE. On January 10, 2023, NMBLC will close on its new location: still in the International District, and just a few blocks away from the old location.
Why is NMBLC moving?
NMBLC leased an office at the Ortiz Building for a few years. As the mission and outreach of the organization expanded, so did its physical space. Administrative and operations staff, a community and press meeting room, the UpLift Initiative, and the Roots Summer Leadership Academy (RSLA) were all housed at the Ortiz Building. NMBLC had hoped to eventually buy the Ortiz Building and incorporate a training center and resource hub into the space.
In the fall of 2022, the owners of the Ortiz building accepted an offer from an out-of-state buyer. They informed NMBLC that the lease would be terminated by the end of the year.
When one door closes, another opens. NMBLC is pleased to announce it bought a new building! In January of 2023, NMBLC will move into 1314 Madeira Dr SE. It’s only a few blocks from the old location. It’s just north of Gibson, between Twisters and Stripes Burritos, and across from Sonic. NMBLC will still be in the same neighborhood. It will be in proximity to its signature community initiatives such as the outdoor RSLA camp and Pamoja Run/Walk. On top of that, NMBLC will be able to continue serving those in the vicinity.
NMBLC’s Pamoja 2022 5K RunnersNMBLC’s Pamoja 2022 Banner
Another benefit of the move is that NMBLC will be severing ties from a landlord tenant situation that had become untenable. Maintenance failures on the part of building management were an ongoing issue. Basic building functions such as maintaining the restrooms and fixing the heating and cooling systems were routinely ignored by the management company. This situation will be remedied at the new office building.
NMBLC New Office Building 2023
Volunteer to help NMBLC move onward and upward.
On Monday, December 19, 2022, NMBLC will be moving out of the old building. The NMBLC staff needs help packing up, loading, and unloading supplies, artwork, and equipment into a temporary storage location. If you have the time, energy, and capacity to help out, sign up to volunteer at the form below.
Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community, and to yourself. I started out as a volunteer back when NMBLC was the New Mexico Black History Organizing Committee (NMBHOC). NMBHOC was a coalition of community volunteers who came together to create an annual Black History Festival in the state of New Mexico. When the founder Cathryn McGill said that we needed a Facebook presence to share the festival events, I said, “I can do a Facebook page!” Little did I know it would turn into a years-long, almost daily endeavor.
Nor did I anticipate how much I would benefit from that volunteer work. The connections, opportunities, skills, and friendships I gained as a volunteer are invaluable. Because of my volunteer work, I got to go to the Santa Fe Opera for the first time in my life. I attended shows, poetry readings, and art exhibit openings. I broadened my skills as a writer, blogger, and content creator. I met people I never would have met otherwise, and fostered new friendships. Trust me when I quote a Jimmy Stewart movie: you can never have too many friends. Those friends I made as a result of my volunteer work came back threefold during my time of need. They were there for me when I got sick and couldn’t do things on my own. I cannot fully comprehend and appreciate all the blessings that have come to me because I decided to volunteer.
Shannon at NMBLC’s Special Screening of Black PantherSanta Fe Opera Stage before the Performance of Madame Butterfly
Volunteer with NMBLC!
When: Monday, December 19, 2022, 8am to Noon. Pizza for lunch will be provided.
Where: NMBLC Office at 1258 Ortiz Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108.
What else: Sign up at the volunteer registration form below.
Join us in welcoming the latest Black owned businesses in New Mexico to join the NMBLC online listing!
Industries represented on this list of Black owned businesses in New Mexico include medical cannabis and gifts. Check out the latest listings below and then go to our online directory to view even more companies. If you want to submit your Black owned business, go to the online directory and complete the quick and easy form!
Macaroni and cheese is a beloved holiday classic, and has deep roots in the African American cooking tradition.
Macaroni and cheese is one of many popular holiday dishes that has ties to enslaved Black peoples who adapted their customs from West Africa and experiences in America to their cooking traditions.
Jessica B. Harris’s book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from African to America delves into the African influences of American food. In 2021, Netflix adapted the book into a popular show called High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. This four-part series brings the African American culinary journey to life. The show’s host, Stephen Satterfield, travels to Benin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, and Texas. He talks to writers, historians, chefs, restaurateurs, and cowboys about the history and influence of African American customs and adaptations on American cuisine.
The book and the Netflix show tell the story of one of America’s founding Black chefs, James Hemings. James Hemings, brother of Sally Hemings, was the enslaved head chef at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Jefferson took Hemings with him on his trips to France, where Hemings apprenticed to chefs in Paris. Upon their return to America, Hemings brought back the techniques and recipes he learned abroad and implemented them in Jefferson’s home. His dishes became popular due to all the formal dinners Jefferson hosted.
Though very few recipes have been attributed in writing to Hemings, it’s believed that many of Martha Jefferson’s recipes had to have come from the kitchen of the head chef.
After James Hemings gained his freedom, and Jefferson became president, Jefferson tried to bring Hemings on as the White House chef. Unfortunately, Hemings passed away before this could happen. But his legacy lives on in the dishes he helped make American classics. One of those dishes was macaroni and cheese, called macaroni pie back then. Six months before his death, Jefferson had bought several pounds of raw macaroni. Mac and cheese was a well loved dish at Monticello!
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water. Boil uncovered for 20 or 30 minutes, then drain. Fill a buttered baking dish with alternate layers of macaroni and grated cheese, sprinkling pepper, salt, and melted butter over each layer. Have top layer of cheese, moisten with rich milk, bake in moderate oven until a rich brown.
Alternate version from High on the Hog Netflix show:
Cook the macaroni in half water, half milk. Alternate layers of macaroni, chunks of butter, and shredded cheese.
Prepare to cast your vote in the 2022 New Mexico general election with the NMBLC voter guide.
The New Mexico general election is coming up November 8, 2022 and NMBLC is here to help with your voter guide. If you haven’t cast your ballot, now’s the time.
In the November 2022 election, New Mexicans will elect the next governor of the state.
US congressional rep, attorney general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, public lands commissioner, and Bernalillo County sheriff are all on the ballot as well. All 70 state House seats are up for election this year. There are also a slew of judges, state amendments, and bonds for libraries, housing, roads, and parks.
Below, you’ll find information on same day voter registration, early voting, poll locations, getting your sample ballot, election deadlines, and where to find info on the candidates.
Not Registered to Vote? Do Same Day Registration
If you haven’t yet registered to vote, you can still vote in the general election with same day registration (SDR).
For same day registration, you have to register in person at the same time you vote.
To register to vote, you’ll need
(1) New Mexico driver’s license or New Mexico identification card issued through the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue department
AND
(2) any document that contains an address in the county together with a photo identification card OR a current valid student photo identification card from a post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico accompanied by a current student fee statement that contains the student’s address in the county.
SDR will be available at voting locations throughout early voting and on voting day. To find your nearest voting location so that you can register to vote and cast your ballot, click the link below.
The last day to request an absentee ballot is November 3, 2022. To make sure you have plenty of time to fill out and return your absentee ballot, request it now.
All absentee ballots must be received by the County Clerk’s Office or any election day polling location no later than 7pm on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, Election Day. If you are mailing your absentee ballot, mail it by November 1, 2022 to make sure it gets to the county clerk’s office on time. After November 1, drop off your absentee ballot at any polling location. To find your polling location, click the link below. Enter the required information, including the “I’m Not a Robot” prompt, and click SEARCH. Select “My Polling Location.”
Early voting has begun and runs through November 5, 2022.
Find your early voting location at the link below. Enter the required information, including the “I’m Not a Robot” prompt, and click SEARCH. Select “My Polling Location.”
To find your nearest polling location on election day, click the link below. Enter the required information, including the “I’m Not a Robot” prompt, and click SEARCH. Select “My Polling Location.”
To find your sample ballot, click the link below. Enter the required information, including the “I’m Not a Robot” prompt, and click SEARCH. Select “View Sample Ballot” to view your sample ballot.
