Albuquerque Public Schools
A Commitment to Black Students, Families and Staff: This Month and Every Month
In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey reflects on Black History Month.
This week marks the end of January and the beginning of a month dedicated to celebrating the profound contributions, brilliance and leadership of our Black brothers and sisters.
February is Black History Month, a time set aside in the U.S. and Canada to formally recognize the monumental impact African Americans have had in shaping a better world.
It’s a time to commemorate the difficult realities and struggles members of this community have overcome—from the atrocities of slavery and segregation to ongoing systemic injustices. To gloss over this ugly history diminishes the painful, yet essential, lessons of the past: that every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, that we all share a responsibility to speak up against injustice, and that there is a heavy price for choosing not to confront inequity head-on.
But we shouldn’t relegate Black history solely to the narrative of struggle and the Civil Rights Movement, because the story is so much richer. Black people have left lasting marks in every single field—from space travel and law to the arts, politics and sports. Their extraordinary achievements deserve to be celebrated and highlighted with the same resolve as we remember the struggle.
Black history isn’t confined to the past; it’s a living legacy present in our classrooms, staff, families and leadership today.
To this end, I reaffirm my commitment and our district's commitment to Black students, families and staff. You are valued members of our community, and you belong here.
This commitment isn’t symbolic; it’s reflected in how we examine our practices, allocate resources, support educators and hold ourselves accountable for equitable and affirming learning and working environments. And, yes, there are times when we fall short, but we strive to learn from those mistakes and to do better.
I want to make you aware of two initiatives that demonstrate this commitment.
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This year marks the fifth time we will host our African American Youth Empowerment Summit. It’s a great opportunity for high schoolers to learn about leadership and becoming a strong ally, as well as to celebrate their culture and connect with other high school students. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 7 at our College and Career High School, 940 University Blvd. SE on the Central New Mexico Community College campus.
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And we’re launching a Words Matter Campaign aimed at educating our school communities about the impact of using racist and hurtful language. The great thing about this campaign is that it will be student-driven, with the idea coming from a town hall I convened with all of our district’s Black Student Unions after an on-campus incident last school year.
As we recognize Black History Month, we do so with pride in the contributions of Black individuals and with a clear resolve to continue building schools where Black students thrive, Black families are respected and heard, and Black staff are supported as professionals and leaders—this month and every month.