CHLP Joins PrEP in Black America in a Call to Action on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
CHLP joins PrEP in Black America and Black-led organizations in a statement commemorating National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day with the theme “Resolve, Respect, and Restore.”
Read the full statement:
National Black HIV AIDS Awareness Day: Resolve, Respect, and Restore
On February 7, 2025 we commemorate National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This year, we have adopted a unique theme: "Resolve, Respect, and Restore." This theme highlights the vital contributions of Black leaders worldwide toward implementing the vision and strategies necessary to eliminate new HIV diagnoses and support people with HIV seeking care and treatment within Black communities. Given the recent suspension of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), US-based leaders must stand in solidarity with leaders across the entire African diaspora as we strive to achieve freedom from new HIV diagnoses, as well as to eliminate pervasive HIV-related health disparities among all Black people with HIV (PWH) in our communities.
Resolve: As Black leaders, we are steadfast in our commitment to ending new HIV diagnoses in our community while simultaneously advancing strategies that enhance overall health outcomes for Black people. Achieving this goal requires mobilizing the exceptional expertise of Black health advocates, scholars, and community leaders worldwide to guide and inform our efforts. Through collective action, innovation, and a deep-rooted dedication to health equity, we will drive meaningful change and ensure that Black communities have the resources, access, and support needed to thrive.
Respect: We extend our gratitude to the numerous allies worldwide who share our vision of a future in which Black communities are no longer disproportionately affected by HIV. Our allies must recognize that our communities do not seek external saviors to lead us; instead, we desire true allies who understand their role is to support Black leadership as we advocate for ourselves. This vision must be realized through the efforts of countless Black advocates and ambassadors who serve as health care providers, researchers, gatekeepers, community leaders, public health officials, influencers, and health modelers — who are all essential in charting a path forward.
Restore: We must restore the core principles of HIV advocacy within Black communities, underscoring the fundamental right of those of us with HIV to thrive, and when our life journey ends, we can transition with dignity and respect. Additionally, it is crucial to advocate for equitable access to all prevention methods, ensuring that no barriers hinder those of us seeking to prevent HIV transmission. Achieving this vision requires us to reject colonization-based approaches and instead adopt strategies that prioritize Black diasporic cultural values and norms.
The undersigned organizations, coalitions, and movements led by Black individuals urge you to take action today.
Global Action: Show solidarity with our brothers and sisters across the Diaspora as PEPFAR funding and programs are frozen. Share the following resource on the immediate impact of these actions: https://www.amfar.org/pepfar-stoppage
Domestic Action: Call your House and Senate Representative to denounce the Executive orders and actions of the Trump Administration that threaten the lives of our community.
Community Action: We’ve provided a toolkit to help you use social media to celebrate and honor Black leaders in the HIV movement.
About PIBA
PrEP in Black America is an intersectionality-informed social justice movement comprised of Black advocates, activists, researchers, policy-makers, and people living with and affected by HIV from communities disproportionately affected by HIV in the US. We are organized to: 1) Energize the Black public health workforce to lead the HIV prevention response; 2) Educate Black people in the science and effectiveness of PrEP; and 3) Support a federally-funded National PrEP program. Contact [email protected].
Sign-Ons
Access Care Treatment and Support Ghana (ACTS Ghana)
Allies in Hope - Jeffrey Campbell, CEO
Atlanta Black Women Leaders on PrEP
Ayron Abbott
Beyond The Shade
Black Public Health Academy
Black South Rising
Dawn Henderson
Dr. Brit M. Williams
Daniel D. Driffin, DrPH, MPH
Deven Stepney
FABRIC, Incorporated
Game Changing Men
JaDawn Wright Morgan
Dr. Jay Watts
Jerrod Thomas
Justin C. Smith, MS, MPH
Dr. K.'s Health Minute
Kennedi Lowman, MLS (MT)
Latonia Wilkins
Leisha McKinley-Beach
National Pharmacy Association
Platinum Level Production Inc.
Project RED Paisnt, Inc
Sarah Wallace
Sojourner Marable Grimmett
Sunflower Soul Doula Services
TERSHA LLC
Texas Black Women's Health Initiative - Tarrant County
The Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP)
The Jilan Center
The Living Well
The Pozitive2positive Initiative
Two Gems Consulting Services, Geri Peak, Founder
Treatment Action Group
Vivian Momah