Tag: New Mexico
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“Come Together” Women in Art Show Opening Celebration
Mothership Alumni presents a new show featuring more than 30 New Mexico women artists and makers! Join the celebration at the Opening Night party featuring vendors, live music, and opportunities to tour artist studios. (And don’t miss the gift shop!)
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United Way Mosaic Celebration
Join United Way of North Central New Mexico to celebrate 90 years of meaningful community change! Network; enjoy a keynote by United Way Worldwide CEO Angela F. Williams, a cash bar, appetizers, and performers; and help raise funds to keep building a strong and healthy New Mexico.
Fundraiser tickets $150. Get yours here!
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Martin Luther King, Jr. State Commission Regular Meeting
Join the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Commission for its Regular Meeting on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, from 11:00am-2:00pm in the International District Library’s Multigenerational Activity Room (7601 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108).
Attendees can also join virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Meeting ID: 256 378 660 811
Passcode: pY3Fu2jo
Dial in by phone
+1 505-312-4308,,989336666# United States, Albuquerque
Phone conference ID: 989 336 666#
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True NM 2024 Exhibition Artist Showcase
Did you miss the True NM Sawubona exhibit in May, or wish you’d had more time to explore it? Now’s your chance! The 2024 cohort of Black and AAPINH youth artists is gathering again to show their art at Explora, with a showcase from 4:00 to 5:00 pm and works on display from October 12 through 20.
Attendees coming to view the exhibit on the 19th need not pay admission – just need to tell the front desk you are there for the True NM exhibit.
A collaboration between NMAFC and NMBLC, working to combat New Mexico’s tricultural myth. More information HERE.
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New Mexico Day at Balloon Fiesta
Enjoy FREE admission to the Balloon Fiesta with a New Mexico ID or utility bill (for proof of residency). Available only at the ticket booth – no online purchases.
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True NM Exhibition Combats State’s Tricultural Myth
by Kristin Satterlee
You’ve probably heard New Mexico’s tricultural myth: the common misconception that the state’s culture is a harmonious blend of Indigenous, Latinx, and Anglo heritages. Setting aside this myth’s other inaccuracies, where does that fable leave the stories of African American and AAPINH (Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian) New Mexicans who are just as much a part of the tale?
Twelve young New Mexicans move the needle on that myth in the fourth annual True NM 2024 Sawubona Exhibition, taking place during this May’s Albuquerque Artwalk on May 3. The True New Mexico program, cosponsored by New Mexico Black Leadership Council and New Mexico Asian Family Center, is designed to combat racism by bringing young people together to share their stories with the community through art. The artists receive a stipend for supplies and to pay for their time, allowing them to focus on creating. But before the art gets made, the artists do a deep dive into their own stories and those of their wider communities.
“We asked the youth from the start. … What matters to you?” says Sarah “Zee” Azibo, program coordinator. “When you’re talking about anti-racism, what do you want to talk about? It’s been really powerful. [The youth artists] are the ones who made this what it is.”
Those discussions ranged wide and deep from February through April, through topics like affirmative action, equity vs. equality, intersectionality, othering, identity, and self-perception. As well as having those weighty conversations—facilitated by youth coordinators Kai Warrior and Ayami Nakanishi—True NM artists met with BIPOC guest artists and participated in activities: A shoe swap helped them learn deeply about the other youth in their cohort, a Downtown art walk led to reflection about representation in public art, and more.
The 2024 True NM cohort selected “Sawubona”—a Zulu term that means “I see you seeing me”—as this year’s exhibition theme. The True NM program does more than combat racism and the tricultural myth: It develops leaders by increasing participants’ self-esteem and awareness of themselves, their communities, and the wider world. You can be part of that development—by attending and supporting the True NM Exhibition, and by getting the kids in your life involved in other arts-based leadership development opportunities like NMBLC’s Roots Summer Leadership Academy (RSLA). RSLA helps youth develop self-esteem and leadership through interpersonal connection, STEM, arts, and social-emotional learning. Registration opened in April, so learn more and sign up at bit.ly/rsla2024.
Don’t take our word for the value of these programs in the development of the youth who will lead us into the future. In the words of 2024 True NM artist Isabella Park, “This is the first time I’ve ever had people that look like me and share the same cultural identities as me speak about the passions I share. … I was able to connect and process traumas and my own experiences that I didn’t realize were there.”
True NM Sawubona Exhibition Opening Reception
May 3, 2024
5:30-8:30pm
Orpheum Community Hub
500 Second Street NW
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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.” Join us on April 11 for a meeting to demystify New Mexico’s complex legislative process. RSVP here for access to this hybrid event.
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
1314 Madeira Dr SE
6pm – 7:30pm
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Byron Powdrell’s Got the Beat: On Educational Futures, Radio & R&B
This article appears in Uplift Chronicles April 2024 International District Edition.
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 https://99thebeatfm.com.
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UNM Africana Studies Black History Month Kickoff Brunch
Join special guest (and UNM alumna) Aja Nicole Brooks for UNM’s Department of Africana Studies’ 39th Annual Black History Month Kickoff brunch!
Keynote speaker Brooks is Executive Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. UNM’s Kirsten Pai Buick says, “With Attorney Brooks, we begin our focus and theme ‘New Mexico: Someone You Should Know.’ We chose her because not only is she from New Mexico, but also because of her emphasis on educating the general public about their rights, as well as her phenomenal record aiding Indigenous people of New Mexico. Brooks best represents our motto: Lifting as We Climb.”
Tickets for this longstanding community celebration are $50. (Some discounted student tickets available for $25.) Get yours HERE!
