UpLift Chronicles’ July Issue Is Live!

New Mexico Black Leadership Council (NMBLC) is excited to share our latest UpLift Chronicles, 📰 Vol. 4, Issue 6, with our readers and communities! What's Inside Our July 2025 issue features coverage of: "Licensed to Twist: The Fight for Braiding Freedom in New Mexico" 🪮 A community-powered policy

Cultural Vibrancy

Food Truck as Melting Pot: Clay Pot’s Recipe Centers Heritage

Seble Yemenu shares her knowledge of and passion for Ethiopian cuisine with Albuquerque through her Clay Pot food truck, cooking classes and traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies.

Cultural Vibrancy

Beyond the Frame: kelechi agwuncha Talks Presence, Possibility and Taking Up More Space

Kai Warrior interviews Santa Fe-based Igbo-American filmmaker, documentarian, and storyteller kelechi agwuncha about their work—which explores play, politics, and possibility—for UpLift Chronicles.

Advocacy

From the Director’s Desk: Another Housing Bill Dead On Arrival

After yet another housing bill dies in committee, NMBLC's Cathryn McGill calls for building real solutions for Albuquerque renters and landlords in her latest From the Director's Desk column.

Civic Engagement

Power Check: How to Reach Out and Speak Up to Congress

Want Congress to actually hear you? Learn how to make your voice impossible to ignore in UpLift Chronicles' guide to speaking truth to your elected representatives.

Civic Engagement

Money Talks: So What’s Albuquerque Saying?

Kristin Satterlee examines Albuquerque’s largest-ever city budget and explores what our spending priorities may reveal about what we value.

Wellness

UpLifting Wellness: July 2025

This month's UpLifting Wellness covers the ongoing measles outbreak in our state and New Mexico's latest dismal KIDS COUNT Data Book rankings.

Advocacy

Licensed to Twist: The Fight for Braiding Freedom in New Mexico

A community-powered policy win is unlocking economic freedom in New Mexico—empowering Black braiders to create economic power with cultural practices passed down through generations. Learn more in Shannon Yvonne Moreau's coverage of House Bill 281.

Beyond the Vote: How to Stay Politically Plugged In All Year Long

by Shannon Yvonne Moreau The 60-day state legislative session’s over. Now what? Legislation’s an ongoing process, so it’s never really over. Making a difference in your community begins small and is built over time. It’s never too early to think about who’s representing your neighborhood,

Advocacy

From the Director’s Desk: The Miseducation of a Generation

In her latest From the Director's Desk column, NMBLC Founder & Director Cathryn McGill remembers Isaiah Taylor and issues a literacy-centered call to action to prevent future tragedies.

International District

The Chancla Brings New Mexico Flavor to Brunch in the ID

Learn more about the newest brunch spot in Albuquerque's International District, The Chancla.

Cultural Vibrancy

The Rose That Grew Through Concrete: My True New Mexico Story

Learn more about annual antiracist youth art program True New Mexico from cohort member and facilitator Kai Warrior.

Wellness

A Place to Start: New Creation Church Hosts Albuquerque’s First Safe Outdoor Space

Learn more about Albuquerque's first, long-awaited Safe Outdoor Space, which calls the International District home.

Juneteenth

Juneteenth 2025 in New Mexico: Freedom, Festivities & Forward Movement

Revisit the history of the Juneteenth holiday and learn more about Juneteenth celebrations happening around New Mexico in 2025 in UpLift Chronicles' Guide.

Advocacy

Despite It All, Queer Joy Persists: UpLift Chronicles’ 2025 Pride Guide

Learn more about the origins of Pride Month and Pride events happening throughout New Mexico in UpLift Chronicles' 2025 Pride Guide, compiled by Kai Warrior.

Cultural Vibrancy

“Clyde's" Visits The Vortex: Nottage’s Play Reps Power of Theater for All

Learn more about The Vortex Theatre's 2025 production of Lynn Nottage's "Clyde's" in this UpLift Chronicles interview with play director Marya Errin Jones.

Civic Engagement

Wicked: Homelessness in the Q

In the latest From The Director's Desk column, NMBLC Director Cathryn McGill takes on homelessness in Albuquerque and provides a framework for proactive change.

Cultural Vibrancy

“Be That Guy”: Black Cat Makes Space for Dreamers

Learn more about new leadership at Black Cat Cultural Enterprises in this UpLift Chronicles interview with Trey Pickett.

Positive Youth Development

From Brooklyn to Burque: How One Educator Set Down Roots to Help Youth Thrive

Learn how Roots Conservatory Manager Mike Jackson found his way from teaching science in Brooklyn to New Mexico and helping youth thrive at New Mexico Black Leadership Council.

Wellness

UpLifting Wellness: Measles & Mental Health

The May installment of UpLifting Wellness features news briefs about the ongoing measles outbreak in New Mexico and the history and purpose of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Civic Engagement

Legislative Wrapup: Highlights and Setbacks from New Mexico's 2025 Session

Learn more about the fate of key bills addressing housing and digital equity introduced in the 2025 New Mexico Legislative Session.

Advocacy

Rooted in Hobbs, Rising in Justice: Aja Brooks’ Legal Legacy

Learn more about Aja Brooks' journey to become the first Black president of the State Bar of New Mexico.

Cultural Vibrancy

It’s Got That Swing: Emmanuel Keels Talks Jazz, Community and the Power of Public Radio

Learn more about local DJ Emmanuel Keels' jazz appreciation journey and his KUNM radio shows, All That Jazz and The Soulful Hour, in this UpLift Chronicles interview.

education

A View Toward Uplift: Who Cares About the Department of Education?

In the latest A View Toward UpLift editorial, UpLift Chronicles' editorial board takes on the Trump administration's executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

Civil Rights

From the Director’s Desk: A Necessary Pilgrimage

Cathryn McGill, NMBLC founder and director, reflects on her recent, necessary pilgrimage to historic sites and museums focused on the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama.