The Power of Showing Up: Advocacy & Civic Engagement in Our Pages
By Samantha Anne Carrillo, UpLift Chronicles Managing Editor
Advocacy and civic engagement both involve the art of showing up—for ourselves, for our neighbors, for the future we dare imagine. In UpLift Chronicles, we carry forward the New Mexico Black Leadership Council’s (NMBLC) vision: a community where every voice is honored and every story matters.
Beyond the Ballot Box
Engagement means more than just voting, as crucial as that is. It also means listening deeply, speaking truth, and weaving together connections and coalitions to shift culture and policy alike. As UpLift Chronicles celebrates three years of our monthly publication, we’re looking back at our coverage history, including our focus on NMBLC’s areas of impact, such as advocacy and civic engagement.
A Legacy of Advocacy
From our paper’s first issue, advocacy and civic engagement have been a significant focus. Vol. 1, Issue 1 featured an article on Civil Rights leader and voting and women’s rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. Issues 2 and 3 also repped the importance of getting out the vote, including info on election deadlines, candidates and issues.
Partnering to Empower Voters
In concert with NMBLC’s New Mexico Black Voters Collaborative, UpLift Chronicles strives to empower our readers with actionable info and resources to make the most of life within our representative democracy. Another election is just around the corner, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, so we’re sharing info on our state’s 2025 election dates and deadlines.
Mark Your Calendar: 2025 Election Deadlines
Online & Mail-in Voter Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
Early Voting & Same-Day Voter Registration Begins: Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Absentee Ballots: Mailing starts Oct. 7, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 21, which is also the last day that the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office recommends you mail your ballot in. On Election Day, turn your ballot in at the County Clerk’s Office (415 Silver Ave SW, Albuquerque) until 7pm.
To register to vote or update your registration, find voting locations, or learn more, visit nmvote.org.
Creating Collective Solutions
Throughout our publication’s history, UpLift Chronicles has also reported on NMBLC’s UpLift Initiative, which launched during the initial COVID pandemic, including its biweekly, hybrid meetings intended to bring our communities together to come up with actionable solutions to problems facing the International District, Albuquerque, and greater New Mexico.
Uplifting Participatory Budgeting
Our February 2025 issue found reporter Kai Warrior introducing us to City Councilor Nichole Rogers’ work bringing Albuquerque into the world of Participatory Budgeting (PB). Rogers’ PB initiative asked community members and orgs across District 6 what should be done with $1.5 million in city-allocated funds. So far, Rogers is the only City Councilor engaging with Participatory Budgeting but we’re still hopeful it will have a ripple effect in our city. Revisit that coverage at bit.ly/abqpb.
Planting Seeds of Change Together
When we gather, question, and dream together, we create belonging. When we act together, we create change. Through our collective advocacy and civic engagement, we plant seeds of equity that bloom into stronger, more vibrant communities across New Mexico. Check out more of UpLift Chronicles’ coverage of advocacy and civic engagement by clicking the links below.