“Black history…must raise a fundamental question about the quality of life Black people have been allowed to experience. If we are indeed a part of this nation, then our lives and experiences have a claim on our national narrative. African American history forces us to view the Black experience of injustice not as the interruption of or caveat to an otherwise grand narrative, but as a compelling story in its own right.”
– Author and Professor, Esau McCaulley
This Black History Month, we celebrate Black lives, contributions, movements, and futures. Simultaneously, we are witnessing anti-critical race theory legislation sweep the nation, from state legislatures to school boards, while the defendants in the Ahmaud Arbery case attempted to paint an overtly racist hate crime as “ignorance.”
If we are not educating our children about the true story of our nation, about colonization, white supremacy, and anti-Black racism – then claiming “ignorance” becomes all the more possible, and remains extremely dangerous.
At NMW.O, we are explicit about our intersectional approach, which honors the impact of racial dynamics alongside gender, and other co-occurring identities. We are also committed to on-going learning about race and racism, and how to be in true alliance with the Black community in New Mexico. Gender justice does not exist without racial, economic, social, and environmental justice. Justice and equity will never be realized in a context of historical ignorance and denial.
Learn More About Critical Race Theory
- Watch this episode of the Daily Show Beyond the Scenes with groundbreaking scholar, advocate, and professor, Kimberlé Crenshaw, who unpacks the origins and meaning of critical race theory and its significance.
- Listen to this Ezra Klein Show Podcast which explores the who gets to control the narrative, and how the story of our nation changes depending on the narrator, with Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and 1619 author, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and writer and producer, Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Centering Black-Led Work
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- Follow Raquel Willis on Instagram for features about Black Trans History.
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- Contribute to, or support the local organizations below, or learn about the Grantmakers for Girls of Color Black Girl Freedom Fund.
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