USBC / ARTI Hosts Retreat to Propose Anti-Racist Policies in New Mexico

On October 14 the Anti-Racism Training Institute of the Southwest (ARTI), a project of United South Broadway Corporation, hosted a one-day policy retreat for 25 educators, health care providers, housing providers and community participants.

A standout theme: good policies and legislation in New Mexico, such as the resolution of the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit, the Black Education Act, and the County and Tribal Health Councils Act, are regularly nullified by lack of enforcement and funding. The effects fall most heavily on historically marginalized communities.

The retreat capped a six-month Community Rebuild project funded in part by the Con Alma Health Foundation to help communities address issues aggravated by COVID-19.

The disproportionate effect of the pandemic on communities of color in New Mexico has shone a light on systemic racism as a critical barrier to recovery.

Earlier in the year, participants attended a series of three-day workshops on Undoing Racism ® by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (www.pisab.org).

Following the workshops, participants met throughout the summer in small groups to discuss the impact of racism in housing, education and health care in the state, and recommended specific remedies.

The full report of the group’s work will come out in January, 2023.

For more information about the Anti-Racism Training Institute of the Southwest, contact us here.