Open Letter to Mayor Tim Keller re Road Name Change

Devont’e Kurt Watson

Albuquerque, New Mexico

1-505-440-2616 | devontekwatson@gmail.com

http://www.devontekwatson.wordpress.com 

July 13, 2020

Sent Via-Email

Re: Open-Letter to Mayor Tim Keller on Road Name Change

Dear Mayor Tim Keller,

I am proud to be born and raised in Albuquerque which is abundantly rich in culture and diversity from all walks of life. As an African American in the Southwest, I am familiar with suffrage, resilience, and perseverance. Similar to Blacks taken from Africa to build the new American empire, native Americans also experienced genocide, forced migration, and unfair treatment under the rule of white supremacy.

Following the American-Indian Wars that lasted several centuries, American Indigenous people were confined to live on reservations under the philosophy “Kill the Indian to Save the Man.” This resulted in the creation of boarding schools to integrate Native students with white students where many indigenous youth were forcibly removed from families and were deprived their cultural identity. Here in our city, the Albuquerque Indian School was established by the Presbyterian church with the idea to integrate Native students with white students in 1881. The residual effects of structural violence similar to these schools still exist today.

Today, Native American students remain underserved in education as described in the consolidated Yazzie/Martinez Lawsuit and are an at-risk population for education proficiency indicators. The community is reminded of the violent past of government intervention and its continued insufficiencies with indigenous communities with streets like “INDIAN SCHOOL RD,” that once led to the institution and is even marked by the last remaining building there today.

In light of the “Change the Name” movement and recent action taken by the National Football League to remove the “R” word, I ask for our local governments to explore progressive actions within our toolkits to join the right side of humanity. This would include changing the name of “Indian School Rd.” Such changes will show the community that we matter and will allow Albuquerque to change history by ending violence in all forms.

I look forward to your response and solutions on this matter. Thank you.

Yours in service,

Devont’e Kurt Watson

CC:

Council President Pat Davis

City of Albuquerque Municipal Development

City of Albuquerque Office of Civil Rights

City of Albuquerque Office of Equity and Inclusion

Albuquerque City Clerk Watson

New Mexico American Civil Liberties Union

New Mexico National Advancement for the Association of Colored People

Albuquerque Branch for the National Advancement for the Association of Colored People