Former Secretary of the Interior and United States Rep. Deb Haaland kicked off her gubernatorial campaign tour in Albuquerque Thursday, Feb. 13 with a message of resilience. Two days before the Albuquerque rally, which was held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Haaland formally announced her ...
The University of New Mexico Lobos tacked on another dominant win on Wednesday, Feb. 5, when they faced off against the Colorado State Rams. The Lobos launched an aerial attack on the Rams and were able to respond to the physical style of play, coming away with a 87-65 win. The Lobos had an impressive shooting night, especially from beyond the arc. They finished 9-14 (64.3%) on 3-point attempts. Three of those nine makes came from guard CJ Noland. Noland shot the lights out, scoring 19 points without missing a shot. He was 7-7 from the field and nailed two free throws on top of it. He accomplished this despite only playing for 22 minutes.
At James Monroe Middle School located in northwest Albuquerque, seventh grade New Mexico history teacher Jon Stauss teaches lesser-known Black History Month lessons to his students. “For Black History Month, my classes engage in a three-day unit on the town of Blackdom near modern day Roswell,” Stauss said. “It was established and settled by Black sharecroppers coming into the state from places like Georgia at the turn of the 20th century.” Francis (Frank) Marion Boyer, the leader of the group who created Blackdom Townsite Company in 1903, began his search for an area to settle after being threatened by the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan in his home state of Georgia, according to the National Park Service.
Over the years, many brilliant Black athletes have worn the University of New Mexico’s cherry and silver colors. From basketball to track and field, each player has left an indelible mark on the University’s history and put UNM Athletics on national stages. From winning national titles to setting records in their sports, everyone has a unique story. Here are five Black athletes who hit it out of the park during and after their time at UNM. Ira Harge When Ira Harge joined the Lobo basketball team in 1962, he was the tallest player to ever don a Lobo uniform at 6 feet 9 inches, according to UNM Athletics. Harge helped the team beat both New York University and Drake University during the 1963-64 season. Over the course of two seasons, Harge scored over 1,000 points for the Lobos.
Throughout the University’s history, Black students have continued to fight for justice and equality at the University of New Mexico. Here are some of the many instances during which these students fought for what they believed was right. 1969 protest against Brigham Young University On Feb. 27, 1969, about 85 members of UNM’s Black Student Union and United Mexican American Students staged a walkout at a UNM-BYU basketball game to protest against Brigham Young University, whose racially discriminatory practices sparked protest across university athletic competitions against BYU, according to a 1969 Daily Lobo article.
The East End Addition, located near Interstate 40 and Wyoming Boulevard, was the first Black neighborhood in Albuquerque. It was built for Black families by Black people, and it was designated as a Historic Protection Overlay zone in 2023. In 1938, Henry Outley, a Black homesteader, proposed a plan for 144 acres of land on behalf of the Fraternal Aid Society of Black Businessmen. At the time, acquiring a loan to build the housing project was impossible due to laws that discriminated against people of color, according to KRQE.
In March 2024, director John Ridley released “Shirley,” a biopic about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman and the first Black woman to run for president. It was one of 2024’s quieter releases; it was exclusively in theaters for only a week before it was released on Netflix to lukewarm reviews. This was a bit of a shame. “Shirley” tells an important story that needs to be heard, now perhaps more than ever.
Throughout February, the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is hosting a Black History Month banner exhibit highlighting the contributions Black people have made in scientific fields such as medicine, biology and engineering. The goal of the exhibit is to highlight those who have previously been overlooked due to systemic factors, according to museum curator James Stemm. “What we've tried to do is recognize that people from all backgrounds are contributing to science and contributing to technology and its development, and highlight some of those people who may not have always been recognized at the time or since then,” Stemm said.
From Feb. 7-10, Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema screened the new documentary “Dahomey.” Directed by French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop, the film follows the journey of a group of artifacts as they are returned from a French museum to their place of origin — the Republic of Benin in West Africa, where the area comprising the former Kingdom of Dahomey is located. The Kingdom of Dahomey was under French colonial rule from 1894-1960, according to Black History Month 2025. It was during this period that the artifacts in question were looted from Dahomey and taken to France. Prior to their repatriation to Benin, the pieces were on display at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris.
For University of New Mexico offensive lineman Richard Pearce, family is everything. Raised by his parents in Alabama, Pearce always had a close relationship with his family. Pearce grew up with two sisters in a small community. His family supports him through and through, he said, as they all take turns showing up for his games. “Once everything falls, that's all you have left,” Pearce said. “It's about having someone there through everything in life.”
As February unfolds, Black History Month serves as a time of reflection and recognition, honoring the past while celebrating progress in all fields, including sports. At the University of New Mexico, two basketball staff members, Assistant Coach Tarvish Felton and Director of Player Development Isaiah Fernandez, shared their perspectives with the Daily Lobo on the significance of Black History Month and athletics in shaping opportunities for future generations.
Born Nov. 29, 1947, Barbara Brown Simmons was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of New Mexico School of Law and the first Black woman to become a member of the New Mexico State Bar. An advocate for equal rights, Brown Simmons fought tirelessly through activism and protests to shape UNM during the Civil Rights era in the 1960s before her death in 2022. Brown Simmons lived in Amarillo, Texas as a child, where she said she learned about Black history in school and became proud of her culture during the time of segregation.
This week in the NBA, we saw interesting trades, blowout wins and closely fought games. Along with that, we saw three bobbleheads emerge. Nico Harrison The first non-player to be featured as a bobblehead is Nico Harrison. He is the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, and on Saturday, Feb. 1, he might have made a case for himself not to hold the position anymore.
On Jan. 31, the Candelaria Nature Preserve in Albuquerque hosted a tour of its ongoing rewilding project. The public tours are given on the last Friday of every month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and cover the preserve’s efforts to restore the 90 acres of former farmland in the North Valley, according to the Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District website. Partnering with the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division, the Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District provides an annual report on some goals for the Candelaria Nature Preserve, including plans for soil health. The project is in the fourth year of its 20-year span. The 2023 report can be found on its website.
The stage is set as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the second time in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9 after winning their NFC and AFC championship games. On the opposing side, the Washington Commanders and the Buffalo Bills were defeated, in part thanks to these bobbleheads whose performances lost them the shot at the trophy.
The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico held its first full senate meeting of the spring semester Wednesday, Jan. 29 — though it was hardly full, as many members were absent due to the date coinciding with UNM Day at the New Mexico capitol. The senate’s repeated close calls in pursuit of the required quorum — ⅔ of sitting senate members present — have been discussed previously by ASUNM Vice President Mutazz Jaber. ASUNM’s newest President Pro Tempore, Bailey Rutherford, led the meeting in Jaber’s stead in their official capacity, having been elected at last semester’s final meeting when Sen. Hope Montoya’s term ended.
On Jan. 17, the Environmental Protection Agency announced an investigation into the City of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque City Council over allegedly discriminating against a South Valley neighborhood by taking action to prevent the adoption of a rule to reduce pollution in the area. The investigation stems from two complaints filed by the Mountain View Coalition and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. The EPA will investigate complaints alleging that actions taken by the Albuquerque City Council and the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department “discriminated against persons in Albuquerque on the basis of race, color, and national origin, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” the EPA’s complaint acceptance letter reads.
One week into President Donald Trump’s administration, University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes announced the creation of four rapid response teams to address federal changes that could impact UNM. The teams will focus on inclusive excellence, immigration policy implications, research funding impacts and patient care considerations, according to a Jan. 27 campus-wide email. The teams will be composed of the best experts on each topic, guided by Stokes and the University’s three executive vice presidents, according to UNM Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair. The UNM Office of Government & Community Relations is helping gather information for UNM at the federal level, Blair said.
On Friday, Jan. 31, a man shot two residents at Lobo Village and fled the scene with four other people. The victims were taken to the hospital with non-fatal injuries, according to University of New Mexico Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Cinnamon Blair. There has been no new information about the suspects, and witnesses are still being interviewed as of Sunday, Feb. 2, she said. “If anybody has video, was there or has any information that they can share, they should contact UNMPD,” Blair said.
Solutions by The State News
