Bill would mandate antiracism school training

SANTA FE — New Mexico lawmakers are considering a bill that would mandate antiracism training in public schools and the development of instructional materials about Black culture.

The Black Education Act pending Thursday before the House Appropriations and Finance Committee would allocate $200,000 to fund an educational liaison position within the Public Education Department.

It also would create an advisory council about Black education.

That would complement existing advisory bodies for Native American and Hispanic education. About 2% of New Mexican students are Black, while 10% are Native American and 60% are Hispanic.

The proposal comes as Black New Mexico residents are increasingly represented in the legislative and executive branches.

The measure, House Bill 43, is sponsored by Sen. Harold Pope Jr., New Mexico’s first Black state senator, and fellow Democrat and House Majority floor leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton. Both are from Albuquerque.