African American history in New Mexico, Copper Mines, Mission Graduate Initiative

This week on New Mexico in Focus, host Gene Grant speaks with three experts about African American history in New Mexico ahead of the new PBS documentary “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross,” by Henry Louis Gates Jr., which premiers on October 22. The six-hour series explores the evolution of the African-American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives they developed – forging their own history, culture and society against unimaginable odds. Guests for the local segment include Rita Powdrell and Brenda Dabney, who co-founded the exhibit “New Mexico’s African American Legacy – Visible, Vital, and Valuable,” which has been traveling the state, as well as Diana Dorn-Jones, executive director of United South Broadway Corp. and founding member of the Anti-Racism Institute of the Southwest.

The Line opinion panel discusses the latest developments in the state’s new rule governing copper mines. Attorney General Gary King, media mogul Ted Turner, and environmental groups are asking the state Court of Appeals to halt the new regulation approved by the Water Quality Control Commission, arguing it is unconstitutional.

The Line also looks at the new Mission Graduate initiative launched this week with the goal of increasing the number of college and university graduates and certificate holders in the Albuquerque area by 60,000 by 2020. However, the state’s Lottery Scholarship remains in dire financial straits and student loan defaults are rising as well. The Line also looks at the impacts of the lengthy federal shutdown and what this might mean for future strategies to reconfigure New Mexico’s economy since it is so reliant on the federal government.

Guests:
Rita Powdrell, co-founder of New Mexico’s African American Legacy – Visible, Vital and Valuable
Brenda Dabney, co-founder of New Mexico’s African American Legacy – Visible, Vital and Valuable
George Geder, President and Historian, Santa Fe Branch NAACP

Line Panelists:
Rob Nikolewski, Editor, Capitol Report New Mexico
Laura Paskus, Independent Journalist
Sophie Martin, Attorney
Stephen Spitz, New Mexico People Places and Ideas

HOST/COMMENTATOR: Gene Grant

The Producer of NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS is Megan Kamerick. Associate Producer is Kathy Wimmer. Funding for this program was provided in part by the McCune Foundation.

Episode 716 for air October 18, 2013