OPINION: A new chapter for the Office of African American Affairs: Building on strength, reaching every corner of NM

I am honored and grateful to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs. The mission of the office has not changed; what changes now is the tempo. My task is to bring our work into sharper focus and ensure it receives the recognition, funding and partnership it deserves.

As a reminder, roughly 3% of New Mexicans identify as African American, and our influence reaches across every region, from the Tuskegee Airmen who trained in Alamogordo to the educators, health care workers, artists, clergy and entrepreneurs leading today.

Local organizations have carried out this work for decades, notably the county-level local branches of the NAACP that are central to civic engagement and advocacy. Under the leadership of Joseph Cotton, president of the New Mexico NAACP (and Hobbs chapter), these branches form a statewide network grounded in the needs and strengths of our communities.

Albuquerque’s Office of Black Community Engagement (with Neema Pickett as liaison), part of the Office of Equity and Inclusion, ensures that Albuquerque residents have a voice in local decision making. The Black Chamber of Commerce, led by Karla Causey, helps strengthen entrepreneurship and workforce opportunity.

The New Mexico Black Leadership Council, under the guidance of Cathy McGill, connects nonprofits, educators and artists.

At the post-secondary level, the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University and Eastern New Mexico University African American student programs offer mentorship, academic support and cultural community.

Each January, the MLK Commission, led by executive director Dannelle Kirven, hosts the largest African American community event in the state — the Martin Luther King Jr. march and celebration at Albuquerque Civic Plaza.

Faith institutions remain anchors of continuity and care, with over 50 black churches across New Mexico, all acting as still vital community hubs. Together, these efforts form a living network of advocacy, mentorship and cultural pride — a foundation that my office is proud to stand beside and strengthen.

And we can’t leave out The Divine Nine, the historically Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities that remain a pillar of service, scholarship and leadership across New Mexico. Their alumni chapters extend the legacy of collective uplift that has defined these organizations.

Importantly, education remains both our greatest opportunity and one of our greatest challenges. The Black Education Act is a landmark step toward closing those gaps. Our office will work with the Public Education Department and local districts to ensure the promise of that act and the state’s obligations under Yazzie/Martinez reach every classroom.

Finally, while we as African Americans number 56,543 statewide (in the last U.S. census), a deeper dive reveals where we live, work and make life happen. While it’s somewhat shocking to see 14 African Americans living in De Baca County, or 6 of us in Harding County, there is not a single county in our state that does not have an African American presence, and our office will be just as concerned for the welfare of those residents as we would for the near 25,000 of us in Bernalillo County.

Leadership is not about waiting for calm; it’s about acting when the stakes are highest. There is never a perfect time to lead an agency, but here we are — prepared, determined and accountable to the people we serve. These challenges only sharpen our purpose.

I am proud to share this mission with Lujan Grisham, whose belief in a more equitable New Mexico has created the space for this office to grow and lead. A New Mexico that fully sees and supports its African American residents is a stronger, fairer, and more vibrant state for everyone.