On Friday, Sept. 25, the National Minority AIDS Council held an “Evening Without Politics”, a reception for the Congressional Black Caucus to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and return it to the forefront of the nation’s agenda. The event was held at the Grand Washington Hyatt in downtown Washington, D.C. on the evening of the third day of the 39th Annual Congressional Black Congress Foundation Leadership Conference.
“In this tense political climate, it is heartening to see elected officials, community leaders and students come together to address HIV/AIDS,“ said Paul Kawata, executive director of the National Minority AIDS Council.
The reception comes as HIV/AIDS prevention has become increasingly crucial to the sustainability of African American communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that HIV incidence rates in the United States are 40 percent higher than previously estimated, with over 55,000 people newly infected between 2003 and 2006. Half of these infections occurred in black communities, while other communities of color account for 70 percent of new infections. According to the Department of Health, at least 3 percent of all residents in the District are living with HIV/AIDS.
However, the “Evening Without Politics” was aimed not just at Congressmen, community outreach organizations and the media, but also at the nation’s historically black colleges and universities to take a more active role in fighting the spread of the virus.
Howard University senior accounting major, India Clark, was among those honored at the event for her work with the National Minority AIDS Council’s Peer Education Initiative. Clark serves as the university’s Lead Female Peer Educator, ensuring that students on campus are taking steps to become aware of and prevent the disease, as well as help out the larger community.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about the entire program, and the HIV [and] alcohol outreach program through Howard University,” said India Clark, upon receiving her award. “I feel very proud to represent my school; and I represent for other people that we have here on campus that are doing this. It feels great and my work is going to continue.”
Clark says that while there is room for improvement for HIV/AIDS outreach on campus, it has given purpose to her program. The target’s demographic are freshmen, particularly women. Despite the fact that college students seem aware of the HIV/AIDS crisis, many college students are still heavily affected by the epidemic. Clark hopes the program will change that.
“If I go to Drew Hall, they can tell me what AIDS is; they can tell me how to get Chlamydia. What they can’t tell me is how to avoid it.”
The strategy of the Peer Education Initiative, Clark explains, is to destroy that “invincible” mind set that many students have. Thus far, she has assisted an HIV/AIDS Information Day on campus, helped launch a Hip-Hop symposium in it’s recognition, and coordinated “Peer Talk” and “Ladies Room”, discussions about abstinence and safe sex.
Other activities allow students to meet people similar to them, who are infected with the disease. This is not an attempt to scare students, but to inform them that they too can be infected.
Representative James Clyburn (D-SC) supports these efforts at historically black colleges and universities and wants them to take a similar approach to what’s being done at Howard.
“The 103 HBCUs that I know exist...owe it to our future to develop as much connectivity among themselves as we can on this subject. Prevention is without a doubt the best way to go.”
Clyburn insists that all colleges need to get active around this issue and continue to stress that the disease is preventable.
Reminiscing on his own experiences, Rep. Clyburn believes awareness needs to begin as early as possible and action must soon follow. Clyburn also said lifestyles and stigmas account for the prolonged affect HIV/AIDS has had on college students and offered advice for the future.
“The best way to take that mindset on will be on college campuses. We can really get all the taboo out of this and get people comfortable with asking certain questions.”
On the legislative front, Clyburn is hopeful Congress will take action towards the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Amidst concerns in Congress over the War in Afghanistan and a divisive health care debate, the representative said important steps toward prevention are being made.
Some insurance companies do not cover HIV/AIDS treatment if it is a pre-existing condition, while others rescind coverage upon infection. Clyburn says provisions in
President Obama’s health care legislation against these measures are some of the “best things we can do for this malady and…will be big contributors to a better quality of life for people who live with HIV/AIDS.”
Angie Stone was the headline of the evening bringing her soulful demeanor and electrifying energy to loosen up the mood. When the song “Brotha” was sung, Mayor Marian Berry graced the stage with his presence.
According to a 2007 statistic provided by the Department of Health and Human Services,
“Blacks accounted for 49% of the estimated 35,962 AIDS cases diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
In 2007, the rates of AIDS diagnoses decreased among blacks, but were still higher than the rates of any other race/ethnicity. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black adults/adolescents were 10 times the rate for whites and nearly 3 times the rate for Hispanics.”
Although the statistics may be startling the National Minority Aids Council continues to make efforts to raise awareness of the impact of the deadly disease.
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