Governor Lujan Grisham has not appointed an Executive Director for the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs while the position has been vacant for over a year. Both the previous Executive Director and the current acting Executive Director have been psychologically and verbally abusive to the staff while implementing sexism, colorism, racism, ageism and retaliation tactics. We demand that a new Executive Director be appointed and the acting Executive Director Charles Reado be removed from the office.

My name is Charlycia Strain, and I’ve worked for the State of New Mexico for almost nine years. I currently work for the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs. I am making this post as a woman of the African diaspora in New Mexico, and in the capacity of the union Stewart,. In the eighteen months I have been here, I have been deeply discouraged and appalled by what I have seen and heard.
I have heard the Executive Director using racial slurs referring to other Black leaders of the community in a staff meeting. I have been physically threatened by the previous Executive Director Amy Whitfield, that if I ever betrayed her she would hit me with a car and then run back over me. I have been screamed at in staff meetings, threatened with being kicked out of staff meetings, and actually thrown out of the office. I have filed at least four grievances, one of which resulted in Ms. Whitfield finally being removed. I have also reported several situations of harassment and retaliation against my colleagues. Retaliation in this office is so constant that the staff are extremely fearful. I have experienced blatant disregard for the African American community, and heard leadership in the office saying that the African American community is not smart enough to understand the plans they have for the community. This office was established for the African American constituents of New Mexico and its current leadership despises these constituents.
The department is rife with structural issues, mismanagement of grant funds, as well as neglect for standards that it should be meeting. Staff are continually leaving due to colorism, racism, sexism, and ageism. The current acting Executive Director, Charles Reado, has not only been aware of this throughout his time here, but has participated in and led many of these practices.
I have written this as a call to action. We are in a desperate situation. We need an Executive Director who is for the people and by the people, who will tear down the systemic racism within the department, and who will overhaul broken policies and procedures so that we can fulfill our role to serve the constituents of the African diaspora in New Mexico. There have been many qualified applicants for the position but they have not been appointed.
Please sign, share, and support this petition. I also encourage you to write a letter, demanding that the governor appoint an Executive Director to the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs who is for us. 

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