March 29th.

National Action Network, the Los Angeles Chapter of The Links, Inc. along with Twenty Black Women Organizations, has “Courageous Conversations” HIV/AIDS among African American Women

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Situated poolside at the Mosaic Hotel Beverly Hills was a beautiful, esteemed array of women; a picture of strength, boldness, curiosity, awareness, purpose and concern.  They came to sip tea and to have “Courageous Conversations” about the impact of HIV/AIDS among African American women.

They left armed with knowledge and a commitment to help spread the awareness of the effects of this deadly disease.  Kimberly Willis of The Links, Inc. Los Angeles Chapter and Tony Wafford, Health and Wellness Director for the National Action Network (NAN) chaired the “Courageous Conversations” about HIV/AIDS Tea as part of NAN’s five-year ACT! Against AIDS Leadership Initiative and to commemorate Women’s History Month.

Mr. Wafford and NAN, along with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), launched ACT! Against AIDS Leadership Initiative as a national effort to collaborate with health care providers, advocates, activists, community leaders, clergy and others to address health concerns and disparities around HIV/AIDS in the African American community. Some of the women learned what many already knew; despite advances in HIV treatment and a drop in HIV infections among other groups, African American women make up 66 percent of new infections.  Yet, they are only 12 percent of the U.S. population.

The women were seated comfortably in groups of five or six, on plush couches and chairs under sloping canopies.  Free of distractions, they talked about how they, individually or through their organizations, families or faith homes, would help get others involved in the fight against AIDS.  “The purpose for today is not only to ‘just talk’ because we’re not a people who just talks.  We’re a people who act! We are dying from HIV/AIDS!  The leading cause of death for women 25 to 34 is HIV/AIDS and that’s unacceptable! I don't think that is something that anyone here, hears and think . . . ‘that’s for other people I don't have to worry about that issue’, said Ms. Willis.

During her welcome, she called on the women to educate themselves about HIV/AIDS, share with someone else about the epidemic and to get tested. Mr. Wafford, who has worked to spread HIV awareness, education and testing for over 10 years now, said his involvement in the struggle has probably been the hardest thing he has ever done in his life, especially because when he first heard the statistics, for all women infected with HIV fall in the age range of 22 to 45, and that included his daughter.

“You guys are dying at an alarming rate and I think it’s so cold because too often, many of us think it’s somebody else.  We think it’s the prostitutes. We think it’s ‘those people’.  Well, it’s our people; all of us and we’re in this thing together, whether you know it or want to be involved in it or not," said Mr. Wafford. Mr. Wafford explained that part of the problem is the stigma that is attached to HIV/AIDS.  “A lot of men do not deal with HIV/AIDS because they don’t want to deal with the homosexual aspect, but the numbers dictate that they must be concerned and get involved because they have mothers, sisters and daughters,” said Mr. Wafford.

Mr. Wafford shared with the group a conversation that he recently had with a physician.  He started, “Reflecting on one doctor’s reply when I asked why no one was talking about Black women and AIDS.  He wasn't trying to be mean-spirited or malicious, but he said, ‘Tony, the numbers aren’t high enough yet for us to really step in here,’ so I'm thinking, well, how many have to die before the numbers get to the point where we can really step up and do something . . . I don't want the numbers to get that high!”

“I’m encouraged.  I don't know many of the women here, so that’s a good thing!  I thought it might be lot of women who are already doing this work, but it’s obviously not. I think that’s a good outreach; that there are a lot of women from various organizations here who can take this information back to their organizations in small groups.  That is how it’s going to happen in our community,” said Marva Smith Battle-Bey, President of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.  

Ms. Battle-Bey’s organization is also one of 14 community partners chosen to collaborate on the Centers for Disease Control’s ACT!Against AIDS Leadership Initiative, designed to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS education, treatment and testing throughout the African American community. Other organizations represented at the event included, Black Women for Wellness, Groups of Single Friends, West Los Angeles College students, L.A. County Association of Black Educators, Having Our Say Coalition, L.A. Gourmet Club, Long Beach Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, L.A. Carrousels and the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., just to name a few.

Resources given during the tea included a Personal Commitment form for women to support the ACT! Against AIDS Leadership Initiative.  The ladies were encouraged to facilitate similar discussions about prevention, treatment and testing within their individual communities. They were also encouraged to volunteer during local HIV/AIDS awareness events, show support during National HIV/AIDS Testing Day which is June 27, 2009, they were encouraged to lobby community groups and organizations’ leadership to make HIV/AIDS prevention for African American women a national agenda item by conducting seminars and engaging in outreach efforts at regional and national conferences.

“The outreach could be as simple as hosting movie nights or luncheons. But the key is to jump-start the conversation about HIV/AIDS’ deadly impact on African American women,” said Ms. Willis.  “This is all about empowerment, ladies.  It’s about determining our own messages and it’s quite unfortunate that so many young women are at risk of succumbing to this deadly disease. Hopefully, this “Courageous Conversation” will allow us to take back to our communities and various organizations, knowledge and information that will empower our people to become more involved in the fight against this devastating disease," said Dr. Lisa Nicholas, Obstetrician-Gynecologist.