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Timeline: The history of Black protest at UNM

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 10

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.

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East End Addition: The legacy of Albuquerque’s first Black neighborhood

Shin Thant Hlaing | February 10

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.

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Barbara Brown Simmons: The history of the first Black woman to graduate from UNM Law

Maria Fernandez | February 10

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.

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ASUNM spring semester opens with quiet full senate meeting

Elliott Wood | February 3

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.

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EPA launches investigation into City of Albuquerque and City Council due to civil rights concerns

Maria Fernandez | February 3

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.

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Stokes announces UNM rapid response teams after Trump administration actions

Lily Alexander | February 3

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.

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Two injured after shooting at Lobo Village

Lauren Lifke | February 3

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.

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UNM community responds to the ceasefire in Gaza

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | February 3

On Jan. 19, a three-stage ceasefire deal was negotiated between Israel and Hamas after 15 months of war in Gaza. Some students, faculty members and staff members say the pressure on the University of New Mexico to divest from Israel will not slow down. The first stage of the deal will allow greater humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza strip, Hamas’ release of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas and displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, according to The Associated Press.

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City Council passes housing reform ordinances

Jaden McKelvey-Francis | February 3

On Jan. 6, the Albuquerque City Council approved two ordinances targeted at improving housing availability through home development and reducing the amount of vacant property Downtown. The first bill, O-24-69, amended the existing Integrated Development Ordinance to allow for the development of multifamily homes in areas that are within a quarter-mile of Main Street and Premium Transit Station (ART) areas. The bill was sponsored by Council President Dan Lewis and Councilor Joaquín Baca, and passed by a vote of 7-2. The bill also made changes to the appeal process against city projects. To file an appeal opposing a city project, a majority of property owners or tenants who live within 660 feet of the project site must now sign a petition in support of the appeal.

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Small bird, big energy: UNM research could help with land conservation causes

Marcela Johnson | January 27

Research from the University of New Mexico biology department could help show how climate and land use change might affect hummingbirds that migrate through New Mexico. Authored by Shayne Halter, Blair Wolf and Carlos Martinez del Rio, the Jan. 15 study looked at why hummingbirds use torpor — a hibernation-like state. Hummingbirds usually go into torpor at night when it is colder, and this can help them survive, Halter said. “They live at a sort of metabolic knife edge where if they don’t get enough food, they don’t get enough energy day to day, they don’t survive,” Halter said. “They have certain mechanisms they can use to ensure they make it, especially when they migrate.”

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Governor nominates two new UNM regents

Addison Fulton | January 27

On Jan. 3, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham made 11 regent nominations for eight different New Mexico higher learning institutions. Among these were two new appointments to the University of New Mexico Board of Regents: health care executive Christina Campos and civil litigator Patricia Williams. The nomination process is rigorous, according to Higher Education Department Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez. "I know each of these nominees has the quality to earn the trust of the public and the communities they have been nominated to serve,” Rodriguez wrote to the Daily Lobo.

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How the Trump presidency could affect reproductive rights in New Mexico

Dylan Anthony | January 27

During the Sept. 10, 2024 presidential debate, Trump praised himself and the Supreme Court for the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. “The states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,” Trump said in a video he posted to Truth Social post in April 2024. On Oct. 1, 2024, Trump reinforced his stance again, posting on X that he would veto any national abortion ban put through Congress in favor of allowing every state to decide for itself how to regulate abortion.

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How the Trump presidency could affect immigration in New Mexico

Elliott Wood | January 27

President Donald Trump’s campaign was headlined by promises to carry out the largest deportation operation of immigrants who lack permanent legal status in American history. To carry out the deportations, the Trump administration plans to work with local police, targeting those who have criminal records first, according to the 2024 Republican Party Platform. Working with state and local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws would require a Memorandum of Agreement — or MOA — between the law enforcement agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to authorize and train employees on enforcement techniques, according to the American Immigration Council. Though there was previously an MOA between ICE and the New Mexico Corrections Department, there are no such active MOAs in the state of New Mexico.

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People’s March held in Albuquerque in response to Trump presidency

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | January 24

Sunday, Jan. 19 On Jan. 19, hundreds of protesters rallied and marched at Civic Plaza during the People’s March in response to President Donald Trump’s return to office. Protesters chanted and carried signs highlighting areas another Trump presidency may impact, including reproductive rights, immigrant rights, environmental justice, affordable healthcare and Palestinian rights. Politicians and community members spoke to the crowd during the rally, including former United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D), Albuquerque City Councilor Nichole Rogers, poet Hakim Bellamy and Albuquerque First Lady Elizabeth Kistin Keller.

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UNM Board of Regents votes to amend free speech policies

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | January 20

During a governance committee meeting on Dec. 5, 2024, members of the University of New Mexico Board of Regents passed amendments to UNM’s free speech policies, which will allow groups to rent spaces at UNM regardless of the nature of their speech. Robert Schwartz and Paula Tackett, the committee meeting’s two Regent attendees, voted on amendments to the Regents' Policy Manual Section 2.1: Free Expression and Advocacy, Section 2.2: Speakers from Off Campus and Section 2.8: Visitors to the University. The amendments went into effect Dec. 19.

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Anti-algorithmic discrimination bill introduced to New Mexico Legislature

Addison Fulton | January 20

Ahead of the 2025 New Mexico legislative session, Rep. Christine Chandler (D) sponsored House Bill 60, the Artificial Intelligence Act, which seeks to mitigate algorithmic discrimination. Algorithmic discrimination is any condition in which the use of an artificial intelligence system results in unlawful differential treatment of a person based on their ethnicity, gender, disability and other groups legally protected from discrimination, according to the bill. The legislative session begins Tuesday, Jan. 21 and ends March 22. Examples of algorithmic discrimination have been found in algorithms like COMPAS, or Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions, which is meant to calculate the odds that a defendant will reoffend. COMPAS flagged almost twice as many false positives for Black people than white people, according to a 2016 ProPublica investigation.

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New Mexico legislative session begins

Addison Fulton | January 20

The 2025 New Mexico legislative session begins Tuesday, Jan. 21 and ends March 22. This session marks New Mexico’s 57th legislative session. Legislative sessions occur in New Mexico annually. Sessions last 60 days in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even-numbered years. During legislative sessions, New Mexico lawmakers meet to discuss and rule on various proposed bills. In order for a bill to make it to the docket, it must be sponsored by a member of Congress, then referred to and discussed by a committee. Each piece of legislation is typically referred to two or three committees, according to the State Legislature handbook.

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How the Trump presidency might affect UNM

Dylan Anthony | January 20

In October 2023, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would close the Department of Education during his administration. It is unlikely that this idea will gain traction, according to NPR. The DOE provides funding for public schools and higher education. It also awards funding, such as federal Pell Grants, to undergraduate students with financial need, according to the DOE. Any defunding of the DOE could result in changes for New Mexican education through less federal funding and less oversight of educational systems, according to Bailey Rutherford, senate president pro tempore of the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico.

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City Council passes resolution to prohibit overnight camping in public spaces

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | January 13

Last month, the Albuquerque City Council voted to pass ordinances O-24-56 and O-24-58, which prohibit camping in tents or any other structure intended for spending the night in parks and public spaces. During a city council meeting on Dec. 16, 2024, O-24-56 passed on a 6-3 vote and O-24-58 passed on a 5-4 vote. Some public commenters expressed concerns about how the ordinances would impact Albuquerque’s unhoused population. Both bills were sponsored by city councilor Renée Grout, who represents District 9. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller did not sign either bill but did not exercise his veto power, meaning both bills went into effect.

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Outgoing regent pushes for neutral position on divestment from Israel

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | January 13

On Dec. 19, after public comment during the final University of New Mexico Board of Regents meeting of 2024, Robert Schwartz became the first regent to formally speak publicly about University divestment from Israel. Students, faculty members and community members in support of Palestine have been speaking about the topic at Regents meetings since February. The agenda for the Dec. 19 Regents meeting initially listed “Consideration of Administration Analysis of Recommendations Regarding Divestment from Israel and Certain Companies” as an action item, but it was later removed, according to an email from the Board of Regents’ office provided to the Daily Lobo. During the meeting, Schwartz said that the decision to remove divestment from the agenda was “cowardly,” and that UNM should take a neutral position regarding divestment.