Life & Style: Black Health

Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting, Lifestyle, Spirituality and Religion

By Angela Bronner, BlackVoices.com

LaJoyce Brookshire has certainly been through the fire, but thanks to her unrelenting faith, came out unscathed.

The former power publicist turned author (she novelized the black film classic Soul Food and also wrote Web of Deception), ordained minister and doctor of Naturopathy, recently released a powerful piece of non-fiction -- a deeply disturbing, though increasingly common story, about courage, AIDS, marriage, deception and ultimately, redemption.

In Faith Under Fire: Betrayed By a Thing Called Love, Brookshire shares the riveting true-life account of marrying a man with full blown AIDS, and using her rock of Gibraltar faith to get through an ordeal which would have broken most. Brookshire opens up with BlackVoices.com.

What was your process in coming to write the memoir?

I wrote 'Faith Under Fire' primarily because the statistics for HIV infections were continuing to rise. And I heard my story over and over more times than I even cared to. So it was time that I broke the silence and stopped trying to keep the privacy of a dead man, and let people know some information that could possibly save their lives; because for the people who are most at risk, I have the most information.

And who are the people most at risk, black women, married?

Black women are highly at risk, yes . And heterosexual women of all walks of life are highly at risk.

How did you maintain your Christian faith when you knew that this man knowingly had AIDS and still slept with you?

You know what it is, honestly...because I didn't know that I was being deceived until he was almost dead. It was easier for me to maintain my Christian faith, because I was staying true to my wedding vows. And I thought back to the day of my wedding, when the only tear I shed was when I said, "through sickness and in health". That was the only tear. And we ironically got married on World AIDS Day in 1990- December 1st. That's how I was I able to hold on and just through the grace of God honestly.

Do you recommend that people in marriage get HIV tests?

Absolutely, I think now, its become routine. HIV can slip up on you and you might not ever know. I think what health systems should do is make blood testing mandatory to obtain a marriage license again. When I got married in 1990, to this guy, it was mandatory in 28 states, and now its only mandatory in 14. In the life and times of which we live now, why are there less? It is the responsibility of each individual to gather information; before you swap spit, swap information. No test, no touch! But we say that in theory and it's all fine and good, but here I am in this situation when Mr. Tall, Fine, and Handsome came strumping up in my life sending roses to my job every week, and my nose was open like a Mack truck. There's nothing you can tell a woman when she's in love.

I know you do the book tour with churches, how is the feedback from the church?

Oh incredible. And here's the deal, this is why I do this. This is why I stand naked and not ashamed because of the people who are able to see themselves in me. And for the people who are harboring a secret too, and who are now able to be set free. People who are willing to stand in their truth, no matter what it is. After I finish speaking, especially at churches, women just come up and they're in tears. They come to whisper in my ear and they can't say anything, but I know what they want to say. One women at a church in New Jersey got the strength to go to her pastor's office when I spoke there in February, but since November she's been harboring the fact that she found out that her husband was HIV positive. She didn't even tell her mama! After I spoke and told my story, she told her pastor and he handed her a piece of paper with my number on it. And he knew he didn't need to check with me, because that's why I'm there. I'm being really bold about what I'm saying so that people can become honest and come clean about the truth and where you are. The truth is the only thing that is going to stop this epidemic...and I'm trying to help do that.

Stars of AIDS

• Stars of AIDS

  Arthur Ashe 1943-1993 - Tennis Star: Arthur Ashe was a phenomenal tennis player and a thoughtful humanitarian. Ashe received a tennis scholarship to UCLA in 1963, and by 1975 was the No. 1 tennis player in the world. He won three grand slam tournaments andchampioned social causes until his death. Today, the U.S. Open is played at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Greg Gibson, AP

• Stars of AIDS

  Freddie Mercury 1946-1991 - Queen's Star: Fredie Mercury was a British pop superstar and lead singer of the group, Queen, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Mercury, an Indian of Parsi descent, was a brilliant songwriter credited with iconic anthems such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Somebody to Love," and "We Are the Champions." Getty

• Stars of AIDS

  Eazy E 1963-1995 - Rap Star: Eazy-E (born Eric Lynn Wright) was one of the architects of gangsta rap and co-founder of record label Ruthless, which spawned the careers of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Bone Thugs n Harmony. His first rap group, NWA, shot to famewith their raw lyrics and always courted controversy, especially with their hit, "F-k the Police." Retna

• Stars of AIDS

  Rock Hudson 1925-1985 - Hollywood Star: Rock Hudson was one of the most famous leading men of the 1950's and '60s, appearing in over 70 major motion pictures. He was also one of the first persons of prominence to announce that he had AIDS, bringing attention to what had previously been a little known disease. ZUMA Press

• Stars of AIDS

  Gene Anthony Ray 1962-2003 - Screen Star: Dancer and actor Gene Anthony Ray is best known as the corn-rowed street dude, Leroy, a dancer in 'Fame,' both the film and the TV series. Although not classically trained before appearing in the show, he did laterattend the real High School of the Performing Arts for a time. Retna Ltd.

• Stars of AIDS

  Ryan White 1971-1990 - Activist Star: Ryan White, a hemophiliac from Indiana is best known as a young AIDS activist who was expelled from his school because of his HIV status. The ensuing legal battle brought to the fore Ryan's prominence, but also prejudice, ignorance and the fact that AIDS does not discriminate. AP

• Stars of AIDS

  Willi Smith 1948-1987 - Style Star: Considered the most successful black fashion designer ever, this Philly native exploded on to the fashion scene in the late 1970s. Always an innovator, Smith won awards and was a savvy businessman. His company, WilliWear, was a unique industry fixture. Corbis

• Stars of AIDS

  Robert Mapplethorpe 1946-1989 - Photo Star: Robert Mapplethorpe was known for his highly stylized, striking black and white photos. He is probably most famous for his Generation X series of photos of mostly nude men, which sparked a debate over decency andgovernment funding of the arts. AP and The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

• Stars of AIDS

  Sylvester 1947-1988 - Disco Star: As one of the first acclaimed and openly gay artists of the '70s, Sylvester James set the stage for future performers like RuPaul, the Pointer Sisters and the Weather Girls. Sylvester bridged the gap between cult followingand mass appeal with disco anthems such as 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' and 'Do You Wanna Funk.' Jeff Katz

• Stars of AIDS

  Liberace 1919-1987 - Candalabrum Star: Even Bugs Bunny knew of Wladziu Valentino Liberace, better known as Liberace, a classically trained pianist who entertained the masses with his ostentatious costumes and wit. He is known for his omnipresent candalabrum and the phrase, 'I wish my brother George were here.' AP

Has there been any backlash?

From his family, yes, his sisters. Outside of that, no. There's been backlash from people, who feel that I preach abstinence... well I do. I don't think that you can put your faith in a condom. You can't put your total and complete faith in a condom. I ask this...If you know the person has AIDS, do you still trust the condom? The answer is generally no! Why then, do you trust it and you're not really sure? You're rolling the dice.

So abstinence outside of marriage?

Abstinence outside of marriage... or until you find out enough information. We don't want to hear that... because it's very hard to hear.

How do you feel about the Down Low phenomenon?

Here's the thing, I never caught him in bed with anybody. But like I said, I have is compilation of lies. And how I came up with my conclusion of him being on the down low is because women who have caught their men in bed, we say the exact same thing and have the exact same story... exactly. We have the disappearing acts, the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde behavior, or the sweeping you off your feet like Prince Charming. The monopolizing all of your time and he disappears with certain male friends in particular, you know you can name a couple of friends who are not accounted for after they die. He sabotages your relationship with the other friends so that its just you and him riding off into the sunset. Lying about mostly anything to get their way, its narcissistic and sociopathic behavior because they prey on women who are straight. And they are willing givers of oral sex, without wanting to receive it. A gay friend of mine put it quite succinctly by saying, because, once a man has given another man oral sex, that a woman's jaw strength is just not the same.

Do you think being more open or accepting of homosexuality is part of taking the stigma of hiding away?

The gay friends that I have, who acknowledge that they're openly gay, men and women, I embrace them, because they are standing in their truth. The people who are tipping, whatever kind of tipping that you are doing... if you're a man and you're tipping on the other side of town with another woman, even that is down low behavior. But certainly if you do it with the opposite sex, you're not standing in good truth. I have already embraced this community because I have personal friends of the community So the stigma then doesn't lie within them, the stigma then lies within you.

Why then do we have to wait until catastrophe happens, meaning one person getting infected with HIV for it to all come to light that you've led a duplicitious lifestyle and for it to all blow up in your face? Then you've got to backtrack and make notifications and see who you've been with- or not -because some people are not even doing notifying others. Saying you have HIV is just not something that people can easily say to others.

So how involved have you become in just educating yourself about AIDS? Do you follow it in the news or not necessarily?

I wouldn't call myself an expert. I do keep very close to the statistics and I'm very close to the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. I have been probably their most returning employee. Seriously, I have worked there, like five times in my career. And because of that relationship, it keeps me close to the epidemic. And it keeps me close to the stats, every time I need new stats, they make sure I get them. I would consider myself a health expert now because as a naturopathic doctor I'm an expert on keeping the immune systems healthy.

For more on Dr. LaJoyce Brookshire, visit Karen Hunter Publishing.

To buy Faith Under Fire, please click here.

 

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Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting

By Phill Wilson, Blackaids.org

The other day, I got a comment from Jane. She was concerned that some of the people who volunteered for the Merck vaccine trial might be at greater risk for HIV infection as a result of having participated.

I think this is a very important question. It is been reported that blacks are more distrustful of medical trials, because of historical precedent.

So I asked my friend Steve Wakefield (pictured above), the HIV Vaccine Trials Network Legacy Project Director, who works to increase the participation of Blacks and Latinos in clinical research.

Here's what Steve had to say:

"Jane was right to highlight the news that Merck's preventive HIV vaccine did not protect against HIV infection or disease. This is the process of clinical trials; we test concepts until we develop products that work. Thanks to this process there were three new drugs licensed last year that are part of the arsenal to fight HIV infection. We will all be better off when someone -- any individual or collection of researchers and community volunteers -- help us to identify a vaccine that will prevent more people from becoming infected. That was the goal of the Merck Study.

But there is never a guarantee that a product in a clinical trial will actually work. That is why there is a need to do clinical trials. Unfortunately, the Merck product did not work. That does not mean that the clinical trial did not work.

Every time there is a clinical trial we learn something that helps us toward the development of a successful product.

There are many steps that go into a clinical trial. In the case of the Merck vaccine, there was promising data in the early test tube and animal trials. Early safety studies, conducted with participants at low risk for HIV, provided data indicating it was OK to move forward with testing. As a result, many of us were hopeful that the Merck vaccine could potentially protect against HIV infection, or prevent disease by lowering the amount of HIV in the blood of people who became infected.

In the end, this vaccine did not work. It did not prevent HIV infection.

It also did not reduce the amount of virus in those study participants who became infected with HIV during the trial. As a matter of fact it looks like some who got the vaccine may have been more susceptible to HIV infection. There is still much to learn over the next several weeks and months about why the vaccine didn't work. There is always some risks involved in clinical trials. That is why every person who volunteers to be in a clinical trial is offered and required to go thru an informed consent process.

The reality is that developing vaccines is a time intensive process.

Ten years before the polio vaccine was licensed, a leading polio researcher publicly voiced doubt as to whether we would ever find a polio vaccine. It is with this thought in mind that I believe that we must continue our search for an HIV vaccine. Had researchers given up hope for a polio vaccine simply because the process took longer than expected, the world we live in today might be quite different.

Advocacy, fundraising and U.S. media coverage of HIV/AIDS has waned as the population infected has increasingly been Black and Brown, poor, women and young gay men. We owe it to our sisters and brothers, both here and in Africa, to make sure the resources that helped develop treatments for other communities continue to be available now that we are the ones most at risk. Education of trial participants and the cry for continued testing of new vaccines must be part of Black America's agenda to fight the virus."

For more information about vaccine trials or research in general, go to www.hvtn.org

Phill Wilson is the founder and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles . He has been living with HIV for 26 years and full blown AIDS for 15 years.

 

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Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting

"...sometimes there are battles
That are more than black or white...
Teach every child to raise his voice
And then, my brothers, then
Will justice be demanded
By ten million righteous men.
Make them hear you."

Coalhouse Walker--Ragtime

Can someone explain to me how the political pundits get off writing off the presidential campaigns before most Black folks have a chance to make our voices heard?

Let me break it down for you. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the total <place w:st="on"> population is a little over 300 million. The combined population for <state w:st="on">Iowa and <place w:st="on"> <state w:st="on">New Hampshire is 4.5 million. About 38 million Black people live in , of whom only about 90,000 live in <state w:st="on">Iowa and <place w:st="on"> <state w:st="on">New Hampshire . So that means that a mere 1.5% of all Americans have had a chance to vote, and less than three tenths of one percent of Black people have had that opportunity.

Black people can't let the pundits or the media call this election before we've made our voices heard. The race has now moved to <state w:st="on">Michigan, <state w:st="on">Nevada and most importantly <place w:st="on"> <state w:st="on">South Carolina , where over 50% of those voting in the Democratic primary are likely to be Black. Next up will be Tsunami Tuesday, when <state w:st="on">California, <state w:st="on">Illinois, <place w:st="on"> <state w:st="on">New York and others will vote. This is where it gets fun for Black folk. Every Democratic campaign is going to want our vote. (The Republicans seem far less interested in getting Black votes. Remember the presidential debate on Black issues that Tavis Smiley moderated back in September? Well, none of the leading candidates at the time -- John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, or Fred Thompson - bothered to show. Of the current front-runners, only Mike Huckabee attended.)

But whomever you vote for, we must make <place w:st="on"> hear us loud and clear. No one should be allowed to take our vote for granted. If a candidate wants us to help him or her get into the White House, he or she has to pay the price. They must have campaign offices in our neighborhoods. They need to sponsor events that focus on issues of particular import to Black people-sub prime mortgages, Rockefeller drug laws, three strikes, and HIV/AIDS. Given the impact HIV/AIDS is having on Black America, any candidate interested in the health and well being of Black people should sponsor an AIDS forum or town hall meeting before February 5th. Not to do so sends a powerful message that they don't really care about us.

One of my favorite Broadway musicals is Ragtime, the story of a Black man who, after being humiliated by a racist fireman, decides to fight for justice. Right before his death, at the end of the show, Coalhouse Walker admonishes his followers to "make them hear you". "If you make them hear you," he says, "than we will be victorious".

Forget what the pundits say. Far from being over, for Black folk, the 2008 race for the white House is only just beginning.

Make them hear you.

 

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Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting, Lifestyle

By Phill Wilson, Black AIDS Institute

Saturday's Los Angeles Times ran a Joel Pett comic strip commenting on Senator Barack Obama's victory in the Iowa Democratic caucuses. A Black man and women are sitting at a table. The man is reading a newspaper, and he says to the woman, "A white state voted for a black man...cool!"

The woman replies, "You mean 3% of a 98% white state voted for a 50% Black Man?" The woman leaves the room. The man considers what she said, and then says to himself, "Still Cool!"

I made a point of watching Senator Obama's Iowa victory speech with my nephew. In some ways my desire to share that experience with him had nothing to do with who he should vote for, who should be the democratic nominee, or even who should be the next President of the United States.

It has everything to do with how he sees himself.

I wanted him to see first hand what hope, hard work and perseverance can do. Hopelessness, fatalism and and giving up because the prospects look impossible are pervasive among African Americans today. We have an obligation to infuse as much hope as possible in our communities, and especially among our young people.

Regardless of whether Obama goes on to win, or whether you support him, his victory injected a badly needed dose of hope into Black America.

Barack Obama's campaign is not just about whether white people will vote for a Black candidate. It is also about what role Black people are willing to play to in our democracy. Our democracy is in trouble and America needs us. We cannot achieve racial equality in America, if we do not equally participate in the democratic process. The vote in Iowa represents who Americans want to believe we are-and we can help all of us-black, white, rich, poor, red state, blue state-get there.

African Americans have a lot at stake in this election.

This is not an election where we can be AWOL. We cannot sit on the sidelines this time around. Nor can we just give our votes away. We have to be actively engaged every step of the way. No matter whom we support, we have to let them know that we are there, and they ignore us at their peril. We need to be writing the campaigns every day. We need to be attending the rallies and forums en masse. We need to be heavily represented among the volunteer corps. We need to be listed among the major donors. And each and every one of us needs to VOTE.

We need to ask questions, lots of questions. What is the candidate going to do about the sub-prime mortgage disaster? When is New Orleans going to finally be rebuilt? How are they going to reverse the shameful trends in college admission of Black students? What is their plan to end the AIDS epidemic in Black communities? Any candidate who cannot or will not answer questions of import to us does not deserve our support.

Today, voters from New Hampshire are going to the polls to make their own comment on the Iowa caucuses. But no matter what the good people of New Hampshire decide, no matter who ultimately is the Democratic standard bearer, no matter who becomes the next president of the United States, they can't unring the bell of hope that was Iowa.

And that's "Still cool."

 

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Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting

The 2008 race for the white house officially began last night when the Iowa caucuses sent a message. "It's all about change." And Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee are their guys.

On Tuesday, The Black AIDS Institute (The Institute) released the first in a series of educational briefs on electoral politics-We Demand Accountability: The 2008 Presidential Elections and the Black AIDS Epidemic (www.blackAIDS.org). This report is not only the first analysis to look at the presidential candidates from the perspective of AIDS in Black America; it is the first overview of where all the candidates stand on any issue of import to Black America.

Both Obama and Huckabee characterized themselves as change agents. The question for America is "What kind of Change?" Ending AIDS in Black America is about change as well-personal, professional and political change. As we dive now into the primary season, Black America must take responsibility for our own health and that of our communities. And part of that responsibility is insisting that our elected officials also do their part to help us end this epidemic.

We Demand Accountability empowers Black voters to engage elected officials by:

· Educating Black voters on the key questions that they should expect any candidate for elected office to answer about HIV/AIDS in our community;

· Putting the campaigns and candidates on notice that Black America will expect them to not only be aware of the problem but to have a plan for dealing with it; and

· Educating voters on what the current presidential candidates have and have not contributed to the fight against AIDS in Black America.

A review of the overall field of candidates in the Democratic and Republican parties provides a stark comparison. All eight Democratic candidates have robust public records on the core questions,-reducing HIV infections, increasing testing, increasing access to treatment, and reducing stigma-there is scant information available on any of the questions for all of the Republicans. What information is available about the Republican candidates does not bode well for the Black epidemic.

Some notable differences between the parties are:

· Six Democrats have committed to drafting a national strategy to end AIDS; only one Republican has done so.

· Seven of eight Democrats support lifting the ban on federal funding for needle exchange; no Republican has made such a commitment.

· All three front-running Democrats-Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Hillary Clinton -have published AIDS plans that stress the import of addressing the epidemic's racial disparities; no Republican candidate has done so.

· Seven of eight Democrats have vowed to increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act; no Republican has done so.

Among the top-tier Democrats, conversely, there is great similarity. All agree on basic principles of targeting resources to address the Black epidemic, putting science ahead of ideology and politics, and building a national strategy with goals to which we can all be held accountable.

There are, however, notable differences in details among the leading Democrats:

· While Edwards and Obama have vowed to end funding for abstinence-only sex education, Clinton has stated only her support for comprehensive sex education.

· Obama's record on encouraging HIV testing among Blacks far outstrips all other candidates: He and his wife, Michelle, have been publicly tested and have spoken forcefully about testing's import.

· Clinton, both in response to the survey and in her subsequently published AIDS platform, has made the most forceful commitment to working with Black faith leaders to address the epidemic.

Getting informed is the first step in getting engaged. We Demand Accountability gives Black voters the information we need to get engaged politically on AIDS. We at Black Voices are committed to doing our part to help keep you informed. Over the next few weeks we will provide an analysis of Senator Clinton's and Governor Richardson's plans. We pledge to keep you up to date on what the candidates are doing and/or saying about HIV/AIDS every step of the way.

 

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Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting, Lifestyle, testimony

By Coletta Renee, founder Tia's Foundation

Like many others, my journey to understanding the AIDS epidemic has not been an easy one. Although I participated in AIDS Walks for as far back as I can remember, I never really understood the real reason why so many were making quilts, sharing their personal stories and raising money until AIDS appeared on my own doorstep.

In 1993, my aunt, who also happened to be my best friend, called me to tell me that she was infected. Speechless, I hung up without even realizing it. When I called her back, I could tell that she had been crying and hadn't had much sleep.

So many questions entered my mind..."How long had she been infected?" "Who infected her? " "Was her fiancé at risk?" I had so many questions but my heart ached too much to ask. The only question I could muster up to ask was "How did you get it?" Her response was even more shocking than the news itself. She told me that her fiancée had infected her.

In a matter of moments, my whole world had turned upside down.

I wanted to cry, scream, curse; display every emotion known to man but I didn't. I simply told her that I was on my way to her house so that we could go out for ice cream. As I drove to her house, I was filled with so many emotions but could not explain one of them. My mind raced...How could my life go on without my best friend since birth? She was my mother's baby sister and was only three years older than me so she was more like a big sister to me than an aunt. I needed to understand what and why this was happening but nothing made sense. 1993 was a year of a great joy and great pain for me. Years later I came to understand that joy and pain can not reside in the same place so I chose eternal joy.

Driving to her house seemed like a blur. I just remember her standing outside of her apartment building like a little child waiting to be picked up. As she walked to my car, my mind drifted back to a time when we'd play in our blow up pool in my grandmother's yard naked; me, my uncle and Tiajuana; a time of innocence. Even when I think about her today, my mind goes back to that day. She was always so protective of me because I was the baby. Now it was my time to be protective of her. When she got in the car, I looked at her and smiled because I knew that we were beginning a new chapter of our lives. That day, we didn't discuss her news; we went about our day as if nothing happened. We did our usual; we got manicures and pedicures and topped it off at Baskin and Robbins for ice cream. We didn't discuss it until we were forced to...years later.

One night on Thanksgiving when my ex- husband, son and I were having dinner, I got a frantic call. "Coletta, please come take me to the hospital." Without question, I left my family and drove to her house. She was bleeding from her rectum and could not stop defecating on herself. As I drove at record speed to the hospital, my only focus was to get her help. I didn't realize that my passenger seat was soiled and that she was sweating and shaking uncontrollably. By this time, I had been her only caregiver for 6 years but now this disease was out of control. It seemed like it took over her body overnight.

When we arrived at the hospital, I felt dizzy and at a total loss. The doctor asked me to come into the room so that he could share with me her diagnosis. The only thing I remember him saying was lesions, loss of bowels, anal bleeding and power of attorney. The next 4 years were spent going back and forth to the hospital; she being the pillar of strength and me trying to find some normalcy in all of this. I had to keep my sanity for my son but she needed me more than anyone. As I watched her lose an enormous amount of weight, her skin turn from honey colored to gray and her hair thin, I realized that she was dying and I couldn't do anything for her. Two days after she completely lost her sight on her death bed, I told her that it was alright to leave me because I'd be alright. As I stood in her room, I heard her take her last breath.

For anyone who has survived being a caregiver to a loved one who has succumbed to complications from AIDS, it's a tough journey. Everyday I find new ways of living through my pain but because of my faith in God, I know that she's in a better place; far from ridicule, judgment and uncompassionate people. I formed Tia's Foundation in her honor as a way of empowering and educating young women like her. We were all created for a purpose....God used her to help me find my purpose....Have you found yours?

Coletta Renee
Tia's Foundation
http://www.tiasfoundation.org

 

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Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting

By Phill Wilson, Black AIDS Institute

About six months ago a young man named Mike Sacco walked into my office with an idea. He had been reading about the AIDS epidemic in Black communities and he wanted to do something. "That's great." I said, "So what do you do?" I asked. "I'm a runner," he replied. "I've been reading about all these new statistics about HIV and AIDS and people are acting like the epidemic is over. I felt like I had to do something.

When I found out about what the Black AIDS Institute was doing and the devastating impact the AIDS epidemic is having on Black communities, a light went off in my head. Maybe I could raise money to fight AIDS and remind people that the AIDS epidemic is not over by combining my love of running and my dream to run from San Francisco to Los Angeles with my desire to do something about the AIDS epidemic?"

I have to admit, when Mike first walked into my office, I found myself in a paradox. My favorite quote is from Calvin Rolark "Nobody can save us from us, but us." I'm the executive director of the Black AIDS Institute. Our motto is "Our people, Our problem, Our solution!" Our mission is to get Black people involved in fighting HIV/AIDS. On the other hand White people should not be given a pass just because Black people bear the brunt of the AIDS epidemic today.

I was there during the early days of the epidemic when "white gay men, politicians and celebrities were pledging to be in the fight until the end.", Now that AIDS is primarily about Black and brown people-gay, straight, male, female, young, old, whatever-where are they? Did I miss another " Mission accomplished" photo op?

Did they end the AIDS epidemic without telling me? And if so, why do we still get those late night calls, those early morning calls, those middle of the afternoon calls, those calls from young men and women who just found out they have HIV and they don't know what to do. They either didn't know how to protect themselves-apparently abstinence only doesn't always work-or worse yet they didn't think their lives were worth protecting-fatalism, hopelessness and despair can kill you. Often they are more afraid of the stigma than they are of the disease.

I thought "Wow, here is a young white guy who understands that the AIDS epidemic is not over and we all have a moral obligation to do everything in our power to fight this deadly disease until it is over, no matter who might be most impacted at the time.

After a minute, I remembered that the KKK didn't care that Andrew Goodman and Micheal Schwerner where white when they murdered them along with James Chaney in the summer of 1964. In my minds eye I saw the mosaic of America -- Black, White, Brown, yellow, young, old, rich, poor-that that made up Martin Luther King's vision of the civil rights movement.

And I remembered asking my parents why I had to do chores. My parents told me that we were a family and the only way for our family to survive was for each of us to do our part. In fact that is the only way for any family to survive. This quirky white kid from Underhill, Vermont reminded me that we are all a part of a family-the human family. And our human family has AIDS. And, we need everyone in the family, regardless of color, to do their part.

On December 1, 2007-World AIDS Day-I joined Mike, his running partner Lejon Boudreaux and their team on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County to kick off the 510 miles of Run in a Million to end AIDS. Over the next 14 days Mike and Lejon, followed by their Test One Million pace care, will be running down PCH thru Santa Cruz, Dig Sur, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Malibu, finally ending up in Los Angeles on December 14th.

Everybody can't run the entire 510 miles, but everybody can do something. Some people can come out and meet Mike and Lejon on Pacific Coast Highway and run with them for a day or an hour or just a mile? Others can come out and stand by the side of the road when the runners come thru their town and cheer for them to offer moral support. People can buy a Test One Million T-Shirt or button. And of course, we can go to the website and donate money to support the run and raise much needed funds to fight HIV/AIDS.

The run in a million is a part of a larger campaign conceived by Tony Wafford called Test One million. The "The Test 1 Million" campaign is a call-to-action for 1 million Americans to get screened for HIV by June 27, 2009.

Eleanor Roosevelt said "Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. It is the only thing that ever has." The Run in a million is about the power of one. Too often we wait for someone else to lead. We wait for the government or big organizations to take action. "As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Every one can be great because everyone can serve.".

We all have a moral obligation to do everything in our power to fight this deadly disease until it is over, no matter who might be most impacted at the time. Mike is right; there is power in one person's commitment to do their part.

Lejon probably summed it up best when he said, "It seems like these days, everyone is waiting for the next big thing. People forget about the power of one. One person can make a difference. I believe that with all my being. I never thought I could do this. But I am. And I know it is exactly what I should be doing!"

The Route:

After running across the Golden Gate Bridge , the runners made their way to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and down to Pacifica . They will continue thru Pescadero, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Lucia, San Simeon, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Malibu before ending up at Nike Town in Beverly Hills . Nike is the lead corporate sponsor for the event.

Mike Sacco is just one person and he is making a difference. You can make a difference too. For more information about the Run in a million or the larger Test 1 million campaign go to www.BlackAIDS.org or tune in to the daily blog at http://www.myspace.com/runinamillion. To join the team to run part of the way or find out when the run will be coming through your community call (213) 353-3610.

 

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Filed under: AIDS: 25 Years and Counting

By Angela Bronner, AOL Black Voices

Stephen Hill, Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Music Programming at BET, is a man to whom controversy is no stranger.

Hello? This is the man who programs Entertainment and music at BET!

Yet, you might be surprised that not only was this Ivy-Leaguer a teacher in years past, but the former radio exec turned TV mogul also has been active in the fight against AIDS for many years.

For his work, he's being honored Tuesday, Dec. 4 by LIFEBeat, the Music Industry's charity against AIDS.

"We are going to have fun and in fun raise a lot of money so that we can continue our information distribution to the youth about AIDS," says Hill.

Tomorrow, the Brown grad will be feted by LIFEBeat's LIVE BEATS at New York's Highline Ballroom with special performances by Mary J. Blige, Kathy Sledge, Denise Rich and "you never know who else well be grabbing the mic!"

Hill, like many of us, came to the fight against AIDS because it touched his life in a very personal way.

For high school, Hill attended the exclusive boarding school, Groton School in Massachusetts and became fast friends with another African American from the city who also shared his passion for music.

"My best friend in Lloyd Keith Howlett, in 1989 he died of AIDS," says Hill. "It was absolutely devastating. The goal is to make it so that no one else ever loses their best friend."

Hill says that two young men used to come back from vacations with the latest music to share music (Hill from DC and Howlett from New York) and even performed The Sugar Hill Gang's hip hop classic, "Rapper's Delight."

"We'd have these great conversations about music and that's one thing we shared," Hill reminisces. "We even had little fake performances, and this is like when "Rapper's Delight" came out. We were the Sugar Hill Gang. I was Master G - yes, and he was Big Bank Hank!"

Hill is being honored not only for his individual work, but for BET's "Rap It Up" program which ran special programming this weekend in honor of World AIDS Day.

Rap It Up is a campaign that keeps it real for the young adults who most regularly tune into BET. The latest stats from the Centers for Disease Control show that those African Americans under the age of 25 make up 61% of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses.

Hill's hometown on Washington DC has also been especially hit hard by HIV and AIDS, with a recently released report showing that DC has the highest rate of AIDS infection of any other city in the United States. One in 20 adults in Washington is infected by HIV. (source)

"I am just honored. I saw this an opportunity to both raise money and in the spirit - this is a way to mix performance, and raising money for AIDS and having fun, it's the kind of show that Lloyd would sit in the back and he would just giggle over."

I'm sure Lloyd is somewhere smiling and rocking to the eternal beat.

 

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