Daily Lobo 02/13/2023

From Feb. 1 to Feb. 28, African Americans across the nation celebrate the impact Black culture has had on this country. They pay tribute to the ones who came before them and recognize the countless contributions that have been made by African Americans and their ancestors. This month, the hub for Black students on campus, African American Student Services, is centering the notion that Blackness is not a monolithic experience through the themes of Black joy, community, culture and love.

Black History Month was established in the 1970s by Carter G. Woodson. Woodson was devoted to highlighting the contributions of Black Americans in the United States. In 1926, Woodson established Negro History Week, held the second week of February within the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. This would later be extended to the full month of February.

In our moment, Black History Month has extended beyond learning about Black contribu-

love

tions in American history but Black contributions to world history by understanding the complexities of importance in the African Diaspora. In addition to gaining knowledge about history, Black History Month serves the purpose of creating space that centers Black stories in the present moment, not just experiences of the past.

Black students on the campus of the University of New Mexico only make up about two percent of the population, which is why during this month the idea of community and culture is more than important: it is crucial. We think of it as a time where we are not only seen and heard by faculty members and students on campus, but also considered.

During this month, the organizations that are integral parts of African American Student Services help to cultivate events that bring everyone together and educate the campus community on Black Culture. Organizations like the Black Student Union, True Colors, National Society of Black Engineers, Powerful

Movement of Educated Sistas and Brothers Leading and Cultivating Knowledge are dynamic Black student organizations that are home to some of UNM’s most prominent student leaders.

Throughout the month, the concept of Blackness and what it looks like for individuals with different lived experiences is indulged through various modes. Whether it be social, educational or service-based events, the importance of cultivating a safe space for Black students is emphasized and empowered.

Throughout the month of February, Black students on campus participate in conversations on how to enact change and action in a community that has faced countless adversities. We look at the negative and the positive, while also trying to write stories of our own. In African American Student Services, we also like to highlight black joy and students that go beyond to be a part of not only their community, but the entire community of UNM. Black students and groups who are achieving milestones at UNM are

consistently recognized in AASS.

Examples as such would be student leaders Kaelyn Moon and Imani Knox, two elected Associated Students at UNM senators who received the second- and third-highest number of votes in the fall 2022 senate election. Or Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, a prestigious Black sorority, being ranked number one of all UNM Greeks for their GPA. When Black students enter different spaces, they find no reluctance in taking on positions of leadership while using that space to advocate for their peers and community. When considering the importance of Black History Month, it is also equally essential that this sentiment of recognition and appreciation must extend beyond Feb. 28. Understand that the practice of celebrating Black students and Black stories everyday beyond the shortest month of the year is of necessity. Tokenizing the month of February is an implicit weapon against Black students, and not realizing that can be of great detriment. Black students do not want nor need

your due diligence or monthly subscription of allyship. While it may be just a month for you, it is a livelihood that is finally being centered for others.

Instead, be steadfast and consistent in speaking with and learning the stories of Black students at UNM. The expected call of duty is that nonblack professors, faculty and students go above and beyond the celebration of this month to continue to cultivate space for Black Students here on campus and in your daily lives. Without violating the safe spaces of Black students at UNM, engage in conversation, learn and do better.

Imani Knox is a freshman at the University of New Mexico. They are currently a senator for the Associated Students at UNM

Kaelyn Moon is a sophomore at the University of New Mexico. She is currently a senator for the Associated Students at UNM

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Students pose with matching shirts outside of Scholes Hall.

African-American Day at Legislature celebrates and furthers progress in New Mexico

By Maddie Pukite & Zara Roy @maddogpukite & @zarazzledazzle

On Friday, Feb. 10, many gathered at the state Capitol in Santa Fe to advocate for legislation that supports the Black community in the state. This was a part of African-American Day, a biannual celebration to recognize achievements in the African American community and educate on legislation which impacts them.

This year’s African-American Day celebration was primarily focused on highlighting and educating about legislation surrounding African American issues. Specific legislation advocated for at the Capitol included a bill sponsored by Rep. Pameyla Herndon, the Bennie Hargrove Bill, which passed in the House on Thursday, Feb. 9. The bill would make it illegal to store a firearm so that it is not out of reach of children, according to the Albuquerque Journal

Lanthia Miles, one of the original organizers of African-American Day and the current president of the African American Legislative Day Council, spoke about the lack of celebrating the day in 2021 due to the pandemic and how they are celebrating it this year.

“You know, we didn’t celebrate African-American Day in Santa Fe in 2021 … This year, we’re gonna have

a smaller celebration as far as entertainment and stuff like that. We’re focusing on the legislative process and how we can make changes or affect the laws and educate our community as to how that comes about,” Miles said.

Miles got involved with the celebration through her relationship with Albuquerque civil rights activist Alice Faye Kent Hoppes. Hoppes was a prolific force in the state: alongside being the original “brainchild” of African-American Day and co-chair of the first ever African-American Day event, she was a president of the Albuquerque NAACP chapter and director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs, according to Miles.

“She also served as co-chair of the first event. She was a civil rights advocate who believed that African Americans in New Mexico deserved a day of celebration at the New Mexico State Legislature, so she approached former representative Cheryl Williams Stapleton with her vision,” Miles said.

From there, Stapleton carried legislation to recognize AfricanAmerican Day in the Legislature, and the act was officially passed in 1999. The event was well-received by both legislators and the community, according to Miles.

The African American Student Services program from the University of New Mexico was present at

the event to advocate for funding for services they provide. These included the Summer Scholars Bridge Academy that helps students transition into their first year of college, student scholarships, first-year retention programs, hiring more student staff and funding different excursions for students, according to Dannelle Kirven, student success specialist and social sedia coordinator.

“(We’re here to) talk about the important work we’re doing on campus and African American student services to provide a lot of resources and support services to Black students, as well as programming ... We need additional funding to do those types of things and to reach more students with our programs and our services,” Kirven said.

The importance of the center on campus is to provide students with a “safe haven or a home away from home,” and a place to meet and talk about shared experiences, according to Kirven.

“If we did not exist, where would black students go and feel truly represented? Because we have to face the reality of the situation: these spaces are historically not for Black students, and they need a space,” Kirven said. And even still to this day, we have made a lot of progress. But there’s still lots of microaggressions on campus and lots of things that

people (overlook).”

The keynote address was given by Lenell Walton, an educator in the Albuquerque Public Schools system who received her doctorate of philosophy from the University of New Mexico in special education with concentration in disability studies and critical race theory. She spoke about the importance of Black literature and study.

“This is also a story about the power of Black studies, the importance of Black intellectual tradition and the relevance of Black experience,” Walton said.

Walton also underscored the importance of educators to play a role in ensuring that content is being taught. She said the graduation rate for Black students in the state is 67%, attributing the percentage to the school-to-prison pipeline. Black students are incarcerated at five times the rate of their white peers, according to the ACLU. This is because schools are more likely to outsource disciplinary action to law enforcement rather than resolving it within the school — even more so when a school has an officer, according to VOX

“It’s still the job of those who work inside the system to inspire and motivate, to understand their racial reality, to engage Black students with the intellectual content and instructional styles that will foster a stronger and trusting relationship

between student and teacher, if we’re ever (going to) close the belief gap that says with so much velocity, that the American dream is not for young Black people,” Walton said.

For Miles, African-American Day is especially important because it gives activists and leaders in African American communities across the state to come together in fellowship and promote change they want to see across each of their individual communities, and on a broader level, it gives African Americans an opportunity to their celebrate achievements and contributions, according to Miles and Kirven.

“It is definitely important because during this month, everyone is reminded of the contributions of Black people to this country and internationally to globally,” Kirven said. “The strong significance of having it during Black History Month is because we’re already celebrating and highlighting the excellence of Black people and their contributions to this nation.”

Zara Roy is the copy chief at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at copychief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @zarazzledazzle

Maddie Pukite is the managing editor at the Daily Lobo. They can be contacted at managingeditor@dailylobo.com, or on Twitter @maddogpukite.

Culture Editor / culture@dailylobo.com

Black Student Union builds community through outreach, education and advocacy

By Spenser Willden @spenserwillden

The Black Student Union, a Black student organization in the African American Student Services department at the University of New Mexico, aims to foster community for Black students through a combination of outreach, education and advocacy work. The BSU offers a space for Black students to connect with the community, both on campus and across the city, according to Nakia Jackson: BSU president and UNM junior majoring in signed language interpretation.

“The goal of the Black Student Union is to create an environment for Black students on campus to form a community. We represent the interests and concerns of Black students at UNM; our goal is to unify, educate and empower the Black student body at the University of New Mexico and be a central point for students to come together,” Jackson said.

Jackson first joined the Black Student Union to stay involved with African American Student Services at UNM after going through their summer bridge program, in which incoming Black undergraduates are able to come early and meet other Black students as well as take a course on navigating a variety of situations that might arise during their time on campus. The experience was invaluable, according to Monice Aguilar, UNM junior, biology pre-med student and fellow member of the BSU.

“It was kind of like the stepping stone into college; a lot of the people who were in my bridge group also went on to joining our BSU or joining some of the other organizations we have through African American Student Services. It’s really an opportunity for students to get a preparatory (look) into what college life is like and get acclimated by meeting some new students before you even start your first day of classes,” Aguilar said.

The advocacy and community work of BSU also offers students the

opportunity to network with others of similar professional background and interests — one goal is to assist Black students with networking and building connections in their field, according to Aguilar.

“The BSU serves as a platform to advocate for students and for students to build off of, so a lot of the leaders who have came into our organization were able to find leadership roles outside in other areas, especially those related to their majors and career paths,” Aguilar said.

This year, Jackson and the BSU are focusing on broadening their community engagement efforts following the social distancing era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My role this year has been transitioning from the ways we were deep into the pandemic and trying to get more engaged on campus … We’re starting to do more community engagement, that’s something we’ve been working on,” Jackson said.

Part of this outreach involves working with other students and

Black student unions at high schools in the broader Albuquerque community; it was through a connection between the UNM BSU and her high school’s BSU that Aguilar was first introduced to African American Student Services at UNM.

“I loved being involved with my fellow individuals in the community, especially students, so when I found out that UNM had a strong BSU as well, I knew I wanted to get involved and be engaged with likeminded people who had the same goals and focuses as myself,” Aguilar said. “By joining, I was able to have these people who are all pursuing these amazing interests, community service, all these things I was able to participate in and further support, and that was one of the most amazing things I’ve gained from them so far.”

As a high school student, Aguilar had felt disconnected from the college students in her community, but through working with high schools and the BSU, she hopes to increase the cross-generational connection and communication to

form a more complete community in Albuquerque.

The Black Student Union meets Thursdays at 2 p.m. in the African American Student Services Lounge. They can be reached on Instagram @bsu.unm.

“We aren’t the only group advocating for Black or African American students on campus; that’s the amazing part of the diverse groups we have here at UNM. We have the Powerful Movement of Educated Sistas, Brothers Leading and Cultivating Knowledge, National Society of Black Engineers and True Colors… all of these orgs are centered in African American Student Services and are led by such amazing students trying to put in that work for the change we want to see on campus and change we want to see in our communities,” Aguilar said.

Spenser Willden is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on twitter @spenserwillden

Multicultural Greek Council offers Greek life experience for all

By Elizabeth Secor @esecor2003

For a diverse array of students at the University of New Mexico, the Multicultural Greek Council fosters experience in leadership, collaborations across campus and much more through providing a space for cultural connection and community.

The Multicultural Greek Council consists of nine sororities and seven fraternities, each of which aims to provide a space for their students to collaborate, communicate and support each other through community, according to their website.

The multicultural Greek organizations on campus first founded the UNM MGC in order to form a community for students of color and help them through college and beyond, according to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. member Danielle Bell. She was particularly interested in joining the Divine Nine, a national council made up of nine historically black sororities and fraternities.

“(The Divine Nine) was created to … help with the matriculation of Black students throughout college by providing them with mentors, providing them with an opportu-

nity to express themselves (and) providing them with an opportunity to surround themselves with likeminded people who look like them,” Bell said.

Though three Greek organizations in the MGC are members of the Divine Nine, it’s not only historically black fraternities and sororities that claim membership, but others as well, according to Odelle Brown, a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., one of UNM’s multicultural sororities and member of the Divine Nine.

“There’s also Latinx fraternities and sororities in (the Multicultural Greek Council),” Brown said. “And hearing (what states) their organizations came (from) and their cultural backgrounds from their own words is kind of what brings MGC together.”

Zeta Phi Beta member Kaelyn Moon found more than just an extracurricular activity when she joined her MGC organization.

“It’s a lifetime commitment that is rooted in Black culture. Even when wearing different colors and letters, the entire council is dedicated to the liberation and perseverance of the Black community,” Moon wrote to the Daily Lobo Bell is the current president of

Volume 127 Issue 24

Members of the Multicultural Greek Council

Odelle Brown

Sigma

“It’s allowed me to be more willing to be upfront in my leadership roles and more willing to step out of my comfort zone … After going into all of these roles, it has allowed me to realize that I’m a lot more capable (than) what I might think I am,” Bell said.

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UNM Land Acknowledgement statement

Rho, Danielle Bell from Zeta Phi Beta, Kaelyn Moon from Zeta Phi Beta. Photo of Moon courtesy of Moon. the Multicultural Greek Council and first vice president of Zeta Phi Beta. Her time as president, she said, has helped her grow more into herself as a leader, while being first vice president has helped her connect with others in her chapter.

Brown and Moon also hold positions in their organizations and on the MGC. Brown is the president of Sigma Gamma Rho and the Vice President of Recruitment for the MGC and Moon is the secretary for Zeta Phi Beta and serves as Vice President of Programming for the MGC.

For Moon, being a part of Zeta Phi Beta has changed her life for the better by giving her experiences that have boosted her confidence.

“After becoming a Zeta, I walk through life and into rooms with a new, powerful and confident essence,” Moon wrote. “This empowers my everyday life in college and is something that is life-lasting.”

Elizabeth Secor is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @esecor2003

Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico – Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache – since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and

Zara Roy / Daily Lobo / @zarazzledazzle

hold up their sorority hand signs. From left to right:

from

Gamma

Black Education Act seeks support Black students

By Maddie Pukite @maddogpukite

The Black Education Act, which passed during last year’s legislative session, has since been implemented to support Black students from preschool through higher education by giving students more resources and expanding curriculums to include the Black American experience, according to Kimberly York, a liaison for the Act in the NM Public Education Department. .

On Jan. 23, 2023, the Florida Department of Education blocked the inclusion of Black history in their school curriculum by blocking the creation of an Advanced Placement African studies course in the state, calling the course “a form of political indoctrination and a violation of state law,” according to NPR. This AP course follows others that already study different regions’ histories, cultures, politics and languages, among other science and math classes.

This proposed ban, and others like it, degrade African studies as less-than rather than as an integral part of a complete education, according to Sonia Gipson Rankin, an associate professor of law at the University of New Mexico; Rankin previously served as the president of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association and a member of the NM Supreme Court Commission on Equity and Justice.

New Mexico, like the rest of the United States, has a rich Black history, Gipson Rankin said. This history has created and shaped much of the society that we currently live in.

“There would be no nation that we sit in today that we experienced today without the work, the experiences, the intellect, the endeavors, the entrepreneurship, the inventions, the creations, the music, the culture that is the input of the Black experience in this space. And that includes not only people that have been here for hundreds of years, but

also with the rising immigrant communities and different black diasporic views that are in this space,” Gibson Rankin said.

The act strives to support Black students through a variety of actions: the creation of a hotline for students to call in with cases of discrimination, educator seminars on anti-racism and creating a curriculum that reflects the importance of the Black experience and to provide students aid as they transition to higher education, according to the Public Education Department.

The Black Education Act is the second of its kind nationwide, but it follows New Mexico’s Indian Education Act and Hispanic Education Act, which strive to do similar work for those populations in the state, according to York.

“(New Mexico is) a trailblazer in this work. Oregon was the very first state to have a Black Education Act, and we are the second,” York said. “This is monumental for a state like New Mexico because when you think about the numbers of Black students (being under 3% of the total population), representation is very important.”

The act supports programs that help facilitate the transition to higher education in order to provide equitable access.

“One of the things that becomes important is bridging that gap between high school and higher ed. And so we work very collaboratively making sure that our students have the resources and access to information that they need about higher education opportunities, but also making sure that there is a bridge that can help them to make that trip … over into higher education,”

York said.

Alongside helping students transition into higher education, the act seeks to help recruit and retain Black faculty at universities in leadership and tenure positions, according to York. The act strives to include students’ perspectives with positions on its advisory council.

“We are required by law to have

students represented on our advisory council. We just had a group of our students graduate, so we are recruiting students as we speak because their voice is very important,” York said.

The importance of ensuring Black history is included in schools’ curriculum and the Black Education Act is that, without it, you do not receive a full understanding of any field, according to Gibson Rankin.

“If you haven’t studied the history of racism that has occurred in our education system, it won’t make sense,” Gibson Rankin said. “You’ll just look and say, ‘There must be something else here.’ You can make the fallacy to say that maybe there’s something wrong with the people. At some point, you have to ask the question — is there something wrong with the system?”

The act also seeks to give students, families, staff and community members the ability to report racism experienced via hotline. There is no exception for

anonymity when filling a report, according to the Public Education Department. This hotline is something Nicole Benford, who worked on the creation of the act, said she would have appreciated as a Black child growing up in New Mexico.

“Just the hotline alone, because it’s not just students that tease other students, but you have staff that don’t understand or say stuff that’s inappropriate … so it would have helped a lot,” Benford said.

While the success of the act should be celebrated, it is important to pay attention to what happens with bans in Florida as they show a thought process that is prevalent in the country, according to Gibson Rankin.

“Even though there are still moments of great progress, like the Black Education Act here in New Mexico, there are still concerns that there are many people that agree with Governor DeSantis, his ideology that this topic lacks educational value,” Gibson Rankin said.

The education of Black history

and identity is critical to being able to make progress against injustice faced by Black Americans, according to Gibson Rankin.

“Once you actually know that there’s a reason for this disparity, once you actually know that the Black community has been an invaluable addition to society and has examples and models to show perseverance and adaptability and ability to navigate and solve and address despite really extreme harsh spaces — then you’ll start to say, ‘Oh, what do I need to modify in my little choices? What do I need to catch in my little decisions? How do I need to unpack places where I might be biased or be falling back on old norms or images or sounds that tell me how I am to treat people versus what I know to be the better way to engage,’” Gibson Rankin said.

Maddie Pukite is the managing editor at the Daily Lobo. They can be contacted at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter

Quirky Used Books & More is a locally owned bookstore offering a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction titles in a variety of genres and subject areas! Cookbooks! Mysteries! Biographies! History! Art books! Teacher materials! Kids books! And more! Our 3,800 square foot store opened in April 2022, fulfilling a long-time desire by the owner to open his own brick and mortar store. We carry greeting cards, collectibles, clothing and jewelry items, and a small selection of CD’s, LP’s, and DVD’s. Quirky Books also proudly displays and sells artwork by local artists! As part of our commitment to the Albuquerque community, we are proud to partner with local organizations to help them raise funds through book donation drives. We’re located just east of the Nob Hill area at 120 Jefferson NE. Stop by and get Quirky!!!

Mackenzie Schwartz / Daily Lobo / mackenzid5

A student writes on a chalkboard. Florida has enacted a new legislation that will stop the making of Advanced Placement African studies course.

UNM celebrates Black History Month

A host of events taking place on UNM campus

By John Scott & Zara Roy

@JohnSnott

& @zarazzledazzle

Feb. 1 marked the start of Black History Month, a time to reflect, honor and appreciate the history of Black people in the United States as to further incorporate these discussions into the broader mainstream discussion outside of the month of February, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The University of New Mexico has a calendar full of events hosted by various departments to allow students to celebrate and enjoy the month.

UNM’s African American Student Services, a service department aimed at providing Black students at UNM with various resources for success as well as a safe gathering space, has a series of events lined up for the month of February, including film screenings, panels and block parties. The events fall into the themes of “Black is Joy,” “Black is Community,” “Black is Love,” “Black is Culture” and “Black is Colorful,” according to the UNM Newsroom

A Black Feminist Panel will take place on Monday, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. in the Student Union Building in association with the Project for New Mexico Graduates of Color. This will be followed by a “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” film screening hosted by the Black Student Union in the SUB theater starting at 6 p.m., according to the UNM Newsroom

Tuesday, Feb. 14 will see the Love

and College Season 4 event take place, and on Feb. 17, Zeta Phi Beta will be hosting their “Speed Friending” event at 5 p.m. in the SUB Atrium. The sorority will be taking donations for the Lobo Food Pantry upon entry to the event, according to Zeta Phi Beta’s Facebook page.

To kick off the “Black is Culture” events, an Afro Latinindad panel followed by a talk from Timothy Nelson, will be held on Feb. 23, on Blackdom, New Mexico, a township built by freedmen which grew into a frontier boomtown, according to the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology’s website. The event, which begins at 5 p.m., is hosted by the museum and will be followed by a reception at 6 p.m.

The final “Black is Culture” event

will be a block party hosted by the Black Student Union and the Powerful Movement of Educated Sistas, on Feb. 24, two Black organizations on campus. The “Black is Colorful” events will begin on Feb. 28 with a “lunch and learn” featuring Dr. Stephanie McIver titled, “When I Say Black … I Mean Very Colorful,” at noon in the Honors College forum. This will be followed by the UNM men’s basketball game against Fresno State University at 7 p.m. which will feature the Divine 9 sororities.

In addition to the programming offered by AASS, UNM Health Sciences also has a full lineup of programming throughout the month honoring Black history. The next upcoming event will be a talk

on Dr. Charles R. Drew, who pioneered the process of blood plasma preservation and the organization of the first large-scale blood bank in the U.S.

He strongly opposed the practice of racially segregating blood donations, according to the National Library of Medicine. The event will be hosted by his daughter Slyvia Drew Lvie, according to the Health Sciences Newsroom. The event will be held on Feb. 16 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Another talk on Feb. 23, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. from speaker Anita Fernander will discuss the place of critical race theory in the medical profession and how health inequities affect the Black population.

In addition to these talks, the

Health Sciences Center will be hosting a series of food trucks throughout the month as well as a trivia night based upon African Americans and their contributions to medicine. The trivia night will be held on Feb. 21 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and a full schedule of food trucks can be found on the Health Sciences Center website.

The Project for New Mexico Graduates of Color will also be holding a screening of the documentary “Black Experience in New Mexico 1974-1980,” followed by a Q&A from Harold Bailey, the current president of the Albuquerque chapter of the NAACP. This will take place on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. in the SUB theater, according to the city of Albuquerque.

With these events in mind, it is important, as the ASALH points out, that the celebration of Black history should not stay confined within the month of February: “Black History Month, too, is a powerful symbolic celebration. And symbols always stand for something bigger — in our case, the important role of Black history in pursuit of racial justice and equality,” reads the ASALH website.

Zara Roy is the copy chief at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at copychief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @zarazzledazzle

John Scott is the editor-in-chief at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JohnSnott

Courtesy Photo / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

A graphic marking UNM’s celebration of Black History Month. Photo courtesy of the UNM Health Sciences Center.

OPINION: No way to justify the Oscars’ continual snubbing of Black artists

By John Scott @JohnSnott

Casual and hardcore movie fans waited with bated breath on Tuesday, Jan. 24 to see what films would garner nominations for the 95th annual Academy Awards: would we see a best director nod for Gina Prince-Bythewood for “The Woman King?” or maybe Jordan Peele for “Nope”? Could Keke Palmer break through and grab a Best Supporting Actress — or even Best Actress — nomination?

The answer was no. Instead, not a single Black artist was nominated in any of the major categories — Best Director, no, Best Lead Actor, no, or Best Lead Actress, no. Films with largely Black casts were shut out of the Best Picture category as well. With films like “The Woman King,” “Nope” and “Till” — but particularly “The Woman King” — showing awards season promise, it raises the question of whether the Academy Awards will ever adequately represent what that year’s best films truly were.

Let’s face it: the Best Picture nominees for this year are anything but representative of this year’s best. It’s extraordinarily difficult to place any sort of consistent measure, from box office to critical consensus, on how these films were nominated without including the films listed above.

Let’s start with box office numbers: “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere

All at Once” and — ranked at 1st, 4th, 13th, and 27th, respectively — all made waves for their stellar box office performances. The “Avatar” sequel now sits comfortably in the top-ten highest-grossing films of all time and “Everything Everywhere” is A24’s highest-grossing film — a big win for lower-budget productions and the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

If this is our gauge, where is the film ranked 14th for domestic box office earnings for 2022, “Nope?” Or, perhaps, number 29, “The Woman King?” Heck, while we’re

at it, where is number two: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” one of three films that actually surpassed “Avatar” in terms of domestic box office earnings? Clearly these films demonstrated their money -making potential. But in the age of streaming, box office numbers aren’t everything, proven by Netflix’s nomination for “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Unlike box office numbers, streaming numbers aren’t widely available — this would be a very unreliable statistic to base the best films of that year on, especially considering the Os-

cars’ theater release requirements requiring at least 15 days in theaters for consideration.

Maybe it’s a pure quality ranking, then. Perhaps these films didn’t garner the same critical reception as widely-acclaimed nominees “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “The Fablemans” or “Women Talking.”

Well, no. “The Woman King” currently sits at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes (higher than “The Fablemans”) and 77 on Metacritic (one point below “Women Talking”). Similarly, “Nope” currently has an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes

(higher than Palme d’Or winning and Best Picture nominee “Triangle of Sadness”) and a 77 on Metacritic. “Till” actually has a higher Rotten Tomatoes percentage (98%) than every Best Picture nominee this year despite earning a total of zero nominations — an immense oversight, according to this metric.

Of course, any cinephile — or really anyone with common knowledge on film — could have told you that any of these arguments were dead on arrival. That’s because the real answer does not present itself in the form of a percentage or box office earning.

Take for example Spike Lee. Spike Lee has never, to this day, been nominated for best director despite having been established as one of the best directors of all time. Why? Because his films challenge the structure and systems that organizations like the Academy Awards are built on.

Films like “Nope” and “The Woman King” are acts of defiance aimed at demonstrating to Hollywood that critics and audiences want films that either focus on Black people or that feature Black people in front of or behind the camera — usually both. But Hollywood and the Academy Awards have yet to reckon with their own history of white supremacy, and until that happens, films that challenge and defy those structures will continue to be shut out.

John Scott is the editor-in-chief at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JohnSnott

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Congressional Black Caucus meets with Biden to push for police accountability

This story was originally published by States Newsroom on Friday, Feb 3. The article was retrieved from Source New Mexico.

The Congressional Black Caucus met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday evening to urge the administration to use its executive power for law enforcement reform, following criminal charges for police officers in the killing of a Black man in Memphis, Tennessee.

“My hope is this dark memory spurs some action that we’ve all been fighting for,” Biden said.

Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was beaten by five Memphis police officers during a traffic stop on Jan. 7 and died three days later. The five police officers have been fired and indicted in connection with his death.

After the city released video footage of the beating last week, protests against police brutality have continued, along with calls from Democratic lawmakers to reform policing. Some would like to change qualified immunity, legal precedents that protect government officials, such as law enforcement offcials, from many lawsuits stemmingfromaccusationsofviolationsof constitutional rights.

Biden said he hopes there can be progress on police reform.

“We gotta stay at it as long as it takes,” Biden said.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus who visited the White House included Democratic Reps.

Steven Horsford of Nevada, James Clyburn of South Carolina, Joe Neguse of Colorado, and Sheila Lee Jackson of Texas and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.

“The death of Tyre Nichols is yet another example of why we do need action,” Horsford said to Biden in the Oval Office. “We need your help to make sure we can get the legislative actions that are necessary to save lives and to make public safety the priority that it needs to be for all communities.”

Nichols’ parents are also expected to be at Biden’s State of the Union address next week, after accepting an invitation from Horsford, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus.

Harris traveled to Memphis this week to attend Nichols’ funeral, where she made a call for legislation to prevent racial profiling and excessive force.

Any legislation relating to police reform would likely originate in the Senate, as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has not said much about such legislation since Nichols’ death, and voted against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which the House passed in 2020.

George Floyd was a Black man murdered by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, who was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. It sparked national outrage and protests against police brutality and racism.

Talks between Booker and Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina about a policing account-

ability bill, such as the George Floyd bill, fell apart in the Senate. Scott on Thursday wrote on Twitter that the House’s George Floyd bill is a nonstarter.

“I’ve been working toward common ground solutions that actually have a shot at passing,” Scott wrote on Twitter. “Solutions to increase funding and training to make sure only the best wear the badge.”

The House last year did pass, on a bipartisan basis, four bills that provided grants to small law enforcement agencies, funding for mental health professionals to respond to calls in which people are in distress and funding for crimesolving technology.

Those bills were the Invest to

Protect Act, the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, the Mental Health Justice Act and the VICTIM Act.

Biden also signed into law late last year the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022, which directs the Justice Department to develop training situations for de-escalation tactics and responding safely to a mental health crisis. A $124 million grant was provided for law enforcement agencies to develop those de-escalation practices.

Last year, at least 1,192 people were killed by law enforcement officers in the U.S., and 26% were Black people despite making up more than 13% of the U.S. population, according to the nonprofit Mapping

Police Violence. Reform practices were in place in Memphis, from body cameras to a civilian police oversight board.

Ariana Figueroa covers the nation’s capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.

Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Marisa Demarco for questions: info@sourcenm.com. Follow Source New Mexico on Facebook

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