Act Against AIDS also aims to increase outreach

Act Against AIDS also aims to increase outreach to Latinos and men who have sex with men. Along with blacks, these populations are the hardest-hit when it comes to HIV—a harsh reality, as one of the most basic barriers the black population must overcome with HIV is its stigma and its association with homosexuality.

“If you look at the HIV epidemic, you have many men who don’t want to get involved because of the fear of being associated with gay men, or being gay,” Arline says. “It makes no sense—the disease is killing everybody.”
During her tenure, Arline says she’s seen the focus on HIV among organizations like hers shift dramatically. She attributes this as a direct response to efforts by the CDC, the federal Office of Minority Health, and other groups to expand their outreach to include HIV education and prevention. “Looking back at our accomplishments over the last year and a half, we’ve had the greatest amount of changes, simply because we were able to receive funding,” she says.

Leaders from other groups have also realized the crisis status of HIV and are acting accordingly. The National Council of Negro Women’s AIDS-related programs are small, community-based outreach initiatives in the United States as well as in parts of Africa such as Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Egypt. The local chapters of 100 Black Men of America focus on various health issues—usually depending on the greatest need of each chapter. In New York City, for example, members recently held a youth symposium on teens living with and dating with HIV.

The Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network has launched a five-year campaign called “I Choose Life,” which recruits clergy, celebrities, government officials, and local leaders to become ambassadors for HIV outreach. And members of the Congressional Black Caucus recently submitted resolutions and legislation addressing HIV. Rep. Maxine Waters of California got her 2009 Stop AIDS in Prison Act through the House, but it was never granted a vote in the Senate.

HIV/AIDS is not entirely new to all civil rights groups. It has been a key issue for the NC100BW since 1989. But some of that group’s more recent efforts have been to foster casual discussion about HIV. Its Beauty Shop Chats, Lang says, are laid-back talks about HIV in a familiar, comfortable atmosphere where women are already having a dialogue about topical issues. “This way, it’s not such a formal thing,” she says. “Some people become intimidated if you have one-on-one chats, so this makes it easier for people to talk or just listen.”

As so many projects like the Beauty Shop Chats demonstrate, having an open dialogue about sexuality and sexual health helps people learn about HIV and therefore helps them stay protected. Lang stresses that people of all ages do want to talk about HIV, but the opportunity may not always present itself. To remedy that, local chapters of the NC100BW sponsor events to educate elderly women on HIV as well as go to high schools to provide information about the virus—an important step, as African-Americans make up 61% of newly diagnosed young people ages 13-24.

While the rates of infection, AIDS-related deaths, and under-education are alarming, the hope is that a new focus, appropriate funding, and a national strategy will alleviate the epidemic among blacks and the overall population.