It’s very important that every now and again we remind ourselves and our community that AIDS IS NOT OVER. The most recent data from the CDC claimed that over 39,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. in 2023. Equally alarming is 38 % of these cases ……some 14.754 were black people who continue to contract HIV at disproportionate rates, and had the highest rate of infection of any community (41.9 per 100,000).
There are, however, some great organizations dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic in the Black community. They include The Black AIDS Institute (BAI), founded in 1999 and based in Los Angeles, California. It is the “only uniquely and unapologetically Black HIV think and do tank in America,” , focusing on political and community outreach.
Plus, the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) is an affinity group of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation that focuses on outreach and education to the Black American community. Its coalition of influencers and advocates seeks to elevate sexual health education by “bringing greater awareness to the social justice issues disproportionately impacting the health and wellness of Black Americans.”
The Black Women’s Health Imperative, founded as the National Black Women’s Health Project in 1983 Atlanta, Georgia, is the first nonprofit organization created by Black women and dedicated to Black women. It engages in educational and political outreach to “protect and advance the health” of Black women whether they’re cisgender or transgender.
BlaqOut, founded in 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri, is dedicated to improving healthcare access and wellness outcomes “for the most marginalized.” The nonprofit helps to provide access to HIV and STI testing, PrEP medication, and HIV primary care through its two clinics and via telehealth.
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