OPINION: Why Albuquerque’s African American Advisory Board must be truly inclusive

Hello Albuquerque. To start, I would like to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Ahdohny Routheni, and I am proud to be a citizen of Albuquerque, as well as a proud member of the Black and District 6 communities.

Recently, I was highlighted in the Albuquerque Journal for taking a stand for my community in regards to the Albuquerque City Council’s creation of the African American Advisory Board —  legislation sponsored by City Councilor Nichole Rogers. As a business owner, father, husband and executive director of a local Black nonprofit, Juneteenth Renaissance Institute, I was deeply concerned — as everyone should be — by the undemocratic nature of the details of the bill and the lack of diversity represented within it.

The bill instituted permanent seats for a list of Black organizations. This list of organizations did not represent the ethnic diversity, income diversity and youth that make our Black community resilient, multifaceted and important.

My wife, a seventh-generation Black New Mexican, within 30 minutes came up with a list of more than 50 organizations and Black leaders who were not included. Mine was one of them.

Juneteenth Renaissance Institute’s mission is to foster economic parity, unity and well-being in the Black community and beyond. My nonprofit supports building intergenerational wealth through programs like the Heart of ABQ 6.6K, all while showcasing the importance of Black culture, history and economics in our community.

Together, all members of the community — including the Black community — represent the HEART OF ABQ. Our nonprofit empowers Black communities, families and individuals while highlighting that we are not separate, but a community made up of different races, ethnicities and people.

I was told my organization was not included on the list because it does not just serve Black people. This is fundamentally untrue. We believe in a Black point of departure that centers and uplifts, but also includes all. Community is the cornerstone of New Mexican and Black communities.

My nonprofit serves in areas such as the International District, where many Black families live in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. Black people of New Mexico represent many different cultures — from Afro-Native to Afro-Hispanic, Christian to Muslim, boomer to Generation Alpha and beyond.

The injustice that the Black community is subject to by not getting a say in this historic bill is concerning. Yes, something of this nature needs to exist. However, the truth is that most of the groups on the list were preselected by a few. the groups are representative of a fraction of the Black community and the process did not include sufficient community input.

This bill bypassed the committee process and did not allow adequate time for not only active members of the Black community to respond, but also for the liaison of the Office of Black Community Engagement to respond. The permanent seats amplify the crisis of leadership the Black community is already facing due to lack of succession planning.

Today we are taking a stand with our community.

We invite you, your friends and your family to join us May 23 for our annual event, the Heart of ABQ 6.6K at Expo New Mexico. We invite you to learn about Black culture and the impact it has had on the community — your community.

Together we can continue to foster the light for economic liberty, for the Black community, for Albuquerque and for all.

We are Albuquerque.

We are New Mexico.

Ahdohny Routheni is the executive director of the Juneteenth Renaissance Institute, which aims to foster economic parity and unity in the black community and beyond.