Carry light. Shed light. Be light.

Lawyers are really smart AND non-legal practitioners that do the work in a daily basis at the micro level really do know where the gaps in policy show up in practice. Lawyers really need to listen.

Some days my faith is restored that survivor justice issues are everyone’s issues and today is one of those days. Thank you.

I’ve determined my skin hates the water in Santa Fe and these last two weeks will be a sort of hell.

Now more than ever, I’m protective of my space & don’t invite people gazing on my life projecting their own story on me.

I’ve been separating my personal & professional life on my social media more & more. Because I am who I am in every area of my life, I used to think people would see who I really am. What I’ve learned is those who are committed to seeing you differently are committed to that version of you.

One of the ways Black women and other WOC are forced out of their leadership roles is the constant, unrelenting ways we are undermined & disrespected. Repeatedly. Even when we’re elevating things in ways never done before.

It’s hard to do really great work when you’re constantly being undermined by the people w/positional power of running state agencies.

It’s incredible to me the way people will avoid not responding to you in professional settings when you are coming from a place of reason, fact, & sound decision making. The fact that they run state agencies & don’t view their role as public service makes it more astounding.

NM Legislative recap Feb. 14: ‘Our song rises when we all rise together’ • Source New Mexico Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 was the 25th anniversary of African American Day at the New Mexico Legislature.

Yesterday was beautiful.

“We are people who have biscuits and tortillas,” she told a joint session of the New Mexico House of Representatives and Senate on Friday. “We have collard greens and posole. We have pinto beans and black-eyed peas.”

sourcenm.com/2025/02/14/n...

Heard in committee tonight “I don’t like the gun stuff but I do like the animal protections”.

Bill would eliminate statute of limitations in civil cases for victims of childhood sexual assault SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Lawmakers are trying to give victims of childhood sexual abuse a better chance to hold their abusers accountable with a new bill. The legislation would repeal…

I believe with my whole heart those with loved experience define what justice, safety & healing mean for them.

www.krqe.com/news/politic...

State must do more for survivors of sexual assault As the executive director of Solace Sexual Assault Services in Santa Fe, I witness the courage of survivors every day — individuals stepping forward to heal from unspeakable trauma and

www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_v...

Im actually angry right now for being treated like all we do is ask for more. Like we haven’t ignored sa in our communities since for ever. As if its legacy doesn’t still last. As if, before 3 years ago, we weren’t woefully underfunded & still have much ground to make up.

I’m not sure who folks think provides these critical services. You need only to look at our child welfare system to see it’s not the state. It is nonprofit orgs day in & day out providing services that are mtg the needs of ppl in NM. $2m to not lose what we’ve gained is not too much to ask.

Fighting at the state level to maintain the services we’ve strategically built that are reaching more & more ppl while literally having our very existence threatened at the federal level. We can’t say we are invested in rural healthcare if we won’t maintain the services we build there.

It feels like we’re gettting the “yeah…yeah….we said sexual assault last year. What more do you want”. Survivors deserve ongoing investment. You want more data? We did the most comprehensive victimization survey in NM which showed 1.1m New Mexicans have been impacted by sa.

Today feels like March 2020. So much news, so fast.

I should be in Santa Fe having the conversations about the impt of state dollars for SA prevention and services. Instead I’ve spent nearly 3 full days managing whether we & our programs can access our federal funding.

Today was exhausting. I don’t only hold the wellbeing of our 30 staff members as my responsibility, but the 100s of advocates, nurses, therapists, & staff at all of our programs across the state. Such unnecessary chaos & disruption.

I’m from Alamogordo & I actually checked out the Clinton book. 📚

Paid Family Medical Leave is sexual violence prevention!

White House pauses federal grants and loans Democrats warn the move could have "devastating consequences" on programmes that people across the US rely on.

People don’t know just how many services are provided through federal grants including sexual assault and domestic violence services.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Coalition work is very very dedicated and strategic.

If anything, I hope they remember Ms. Niecy told them if no one else has.

I think my role in young people’s lives right now is to ask them their plans after high school. Several have told me they don’t have one. I tell them what a benefit it is to be in NM & have access to free college & to not waste that oppty. Cmty college is a great choice to get those early credits.

Very informative HAFC committee hearing today. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Now we need the legislature to fix the administering agencies decision.

That’s when the state administering agency matters. While the legislative intent was establishing & supporting the NMSAH as we asked, those funds have been contracted as nonrecurring for the past 2 years. So while we should have the recurring funds needed to operate this essential service,we dont.

So while our statewide strategy in years 1 & 2 was to increase support for programs across the state and add new programs, which we did, our second priority for year 3 & 4 was building statewide infrastructure support by establishing the NMSAH. That is what we asked the legislature for.