LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Albuquerque City Council creates African American Advisory Board
Sponsor Nichole Rogers said legislation gives local Black community 'a seat at the table'
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The Albuquerque City Council unanimously voted Monday night to create an African American Advisory Board.
The legislation was sponsored by City Councilor Nichole Rogers, the first Black person to be elected to the council.
The board will give Albuquerque’s Black community a “seat at the table” of local governance, Rogers said.
The African American Advisory Board will advise the City Council and Mayor’s Office on policy to help the Black community, including in areas of civic engagement, health outcomes and cultural events.
The board will also address grave issues, such as police brutality and other disproportionate acts of violence committed against Black people.
Analysis of violent crime data indicates that Black people in the United States have a homicide victimization rate 11 times that of white people.
Rogers hopes that the board can address these systemic inequities by providing context and guiding policy in the Mayor’s Office and within city departments.
Composition and criticism
The board will have 15 voting members, the majority of whom must be appointed by local Black-led organizations.
However, several Black community members expressed concern about the included organizations and said during public comment that they did not meaningfully represent the African American community in Albuquerque.
“Who are you, Councilor Rogers, to determine who is Black-serving and who is Black enough to be on this list?” said public commenter Ahdohny Routheni.
In response, Rogers said that the council “needs to start somewhere.”
“I recognize that no policy is ever perfect on day one,” Rogers said. “I'm confident that after the first year of implementation, if adjustments are needed, we can return to council and refine and improve this legislation.”
Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.
