This February, the University of New Mexico (UNM) marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month with milestone celebrations and longstanding campus traditions.
UNM has been celebrating Black History Month for 50 years. Since 1976, UNM has honored the achievements and contributions of Black, African, and African American communities on campus. The university hosts events, research talks, discussions that share lived experiences, and other initiatives that highlight the African American experience.
The UNM Department of Anthropology features these celebrations on a dedicated webpage. Black scholars, such as Carter Woodson, Zora Neale Hurston, and Harris D. Smith, are also recognized for their significant contributions.
UNM Department of Africana Studies
The Africana Studies Program at UNM provides students of all races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds with a comprehensive understanding of the global linkages between peoples of Africa and other African-descended peoples in the Southwest, the contiguous United States, and throughout the Black Diaspora in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Africana Studies offers an excellent university experience that examines the histories, aspirations, and possibilities of African-descended peoples from their own perspectives.
UNM President Garnett Stokes said the initiative, previously called the Afro Studies Program, is UNM’s first ethnic studies research program. Created in 1970 by students, faculty, and staff, it remains one of the nation’s oldest Black studies programs.
UNM African American Student Services
African American Student Services (AASS) aims to recruit, retain, and uplift Black students at UNM. This is achieved by providing educational discourse, leadership development, holistic wellness, and community engagement. AASS helps students reach their full potential through advocacy, allyship, and exploring the many facets of Blackness.
AASS supports the university’s commitment to diversity by creating space for Black student scholars to thrive. Its vision is to inspire excellence in culture, research, and innovation for Black student scholars at UNM.
Brandi Stone has been the director of AASS since 2020. A UNM alumnus, Stone received both her BS in Political Science and her MA in Public Administration. In seven years at AASS, she progressed from a work-study position to various professional roles.
As interim director, she led the development, expansion, and implementation of undergraduate and graduate programs. She spearheaded retention-based programming, including the Black Minds Matter course and the Black Cultural Conference, which attracted regional Black scholars and practitioners.
Black History Project Pays Tribute to Dr. Barbara Brown Simmons
AASS and the UNM Communications and Marketing Department’s Web team collaborated on a historic project to document and showcase the Black experience at UNM. The Black History at UNM touchscreen website is accessible at the African American Student Services office in Mesa Vista Hall.
“This project came from a need to archive the Black experience at UNM in a way that students can engage with it in real time,” said program director Brandi Stone. “We wanted to expose students to the legacy of our Black community on our campus. We want students to understand the history and lived experiences of those who came before them.”
Barbara Brown Simmons was an early founder of the Black studies program at UNM. She passed away in July 2022.
Who Founded Black History Month?
Woodson, a Harvard-educated historian, founded Black History Month. He chose February for the celebration to honor the past and to recognize those who helped shape the future of African Americans in America, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). By choosing this month and recognizing the discourse of the time, he encouraged the public to extend its learning of Black history.
Woodson’s 100-year legacy continues to grow and impact communities worldwide, including Canada and the United Kingdom.
“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history,” said Woodson.