by Cathryn McGillNMBLC Founder & Executive Director There’s an old adage about jokes that fall flat: “Well, I guess you had to be there.” But when it comes to understanding the horrors of hate—lynchings, brutality, and systemic oppression perpetrated on… Read more
By Samantha Anne Carrillo Leon Howard’s path to civil rights law began in Albuquerque’s International District. “I grew up at San Pedro and Kathryn,” he says. A graduate of Wilson Middle School and Highland High, he stayed in-state for college… Read more
By Rudolfo Carrillo Measles Outbreak: What You Need to Know A measles outbreak in west Texas and southern New Mexico continues. As of April 7, the New Mexico Department of Health documented 54 cases (including 27 adults and 27 children)… Read more
By Shannon Yvonne Moreau New Mexico’s 60-day legislative session for 2025 wrapped on March 22. New Mexico Black Leadership Council followed a few key bills closely, especially those addressing housing and internet accessibility. Here’s the status of those bills as… Read more
By Kristin Satterlee The idea of rest as an act of resistance is gaining traction in American culture. But what does that even mean? And what does it mean for you? Rest is resisting … what, exactly? Rest is an… Read more
By Shannon Yvonne Moreau “Access to knowledge is the superb, the supreme act of truly great civilizations.” — Toni Morrison Embracing SONKE In 2025, the New Mexico Black Leadership Council (NMBLC) embraces SONKE as our annual theme. SONKE’s all about… Read more
By Rudolfo Carrillo Spring Cleaning: Diet Edition As we await springtime here in New Mexico, it’s important to note that our health journeys are seasonal and continuous: approaching spring will bring fresh concerns which we must balance with staying mindful… Read more
By Samantha Anne Carrillo “I grew up in a house without indoor plumbing in a neighborhood that’s a close cousin to [Albuquerque’s] International District. I remember I only had one birthday party, and I was terrified that somebody was going… Read more
From the Director’s Desk By Cathryn McGill, NMBLC Founder & Director Success As a Journey I remember an important song from my childhood at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Muskogee, Okla., a testament to perseverance: “I wouldn’t take nothin’ for… Read more
By Kristin Satterlee Have you ever had a look at New Mexico Black Leadership Council’s (NMBLC) sign and wondered who these people are, and why they’re highlighted? Well, we’ve got you. Carter G. Woodson / Photo CC by GPA Photo… Read more
by Samantha Anne Carrillo The North Star has always been more than just a celestial body. Fixed in the sky, unshaken by time, it has long guided explorers, dreamers, and the lost toward something greater. For abolitionist Harriet Tubman, it… Read more
A View Toward UpLift Editorial Black history is both a witness and a warning, inextricably interwoven into the very fabric of American history. You cannot consider American history without Black history. It is a record of brilliance, survival, and resistance.… Read more