The University of New Mexico Black Student Union will soon publish its own newspaper designed to bring attention to Black history and contributions and resist efforts to erase the impact of Black Americans.
The newspaper is part of BSU’s mission to create a community for Black students and preserve and share their history. The President of BSU, Cindy-Esthern Ntolla, said the paper will include reporting on current events and pieces on Black history.
“I think as of recent, we’ve struggled with learning from history, and I think utilizing a past event and applying it to a current event is really helpful to identify where we come from and where we’re going,” Ntolla said.
The UNM BSU chapter is one of the oldest in the nation, having been established in 1969 and working at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.
“It means a lot to me to be able to continue the history, which is why we have a focus on perpetuating the history, having community building events, and most importantly, we just talk to one another. That’s the only way that we’re able to work together, build that sense of community,” Ntolla said.
Ntolla said she wants the publication to be a blend of entertainment and information to draw people in and keep them reading long enough to share the information that needs to be shared, as well as use entertainment to build community bonds. She said she does not want the BSU newspaper to be lost in online noise.
“There’s a lot of things to look at out there. Unless it’s put in front of your eyes, on the internet, you’re competing for attention. If we’ve put it out at the African American Student Services or maybe at elementary schools and places like those, it might not be the most successful, but we’re not trying to make a profit,” Ntolla said. ”We’re really just trying to educate people. And if we are successful in doing that, then I think we have succeeded.”
The newspaper will be available in print, allowing readers a physical item that cannot be taken away and a way to help readers concentrate without the distractions often inherent to the digital landscape, Ntolla said.
“I really struggled with reading things digitally and I don’t think it’s good for us to spend so much time on the screens,” Ntolla said. “(With digital access) obviously, it’s easily accessible and that it works for a lot of people, but having access to something physical that you can hold onto and keep no matter what is definitely important to me.”
Starting the publication has not been without its challenges, particularly because AASS and BSU by extension have recently lost federal funding, Ntolla said.
“It’s been a little bit scary to consider that our center might be closing, which is why we want to bring the community into this, because we might not have the support of this institution,” Ntolla said.
Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s administration, UNM and other universities have been repeatedly challenged for the support of what the Department of Education named race-based programs. In February 2025, then — UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair confirmed that the University had not changed its student services in response to federal guidance threatening funding cuts.
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Although UNM has seen federal funding cuts — particularly with research operations — it’s unclear if it’s impacted the University’s support of resource centers.
The goal is to have both students, faculty and the broader community members contribute to the newspaper, Ntolla said.
“We are looking for more people to help. I don’t think we can have enough minds put together, and this is definitely a community project. I think as many people as are willing to participate should,” Ntolla said.
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
