Events

New Taskforce Rallies Celebrities to Address HIV/AIDS Crisis in Black Community

Published

9 years ago

February 24, 2015

The national message that Black lives matter somehow has not translated to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Statistics show that Black and Brown people continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS nationally, and this demands a new creative response that is timely and effective.

Commemorating the annual National Black HIV/AIDS Day that was started in 1999, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation formed its Black AIDS Crisis Taskforce (ABACT) at a celebrity-filled private champagne brunch in Hollywood, California at H.O.M.E., a Black-owned live jazz supper club.

In collaboration with celebrities and prominent cultural influencers, ABACT will draw attention to national infection rates among African Americans, and the need for intensified efforts to connect African Americans living with HIV to medical care and support.

POST writer Jesse Brooks with actor Jussie Smollett, star of the smash television hit “Empire”. Smollett says when a test audience saw an early scene of his character Jamal in a same-sex kiss with his television boyfriend, ratings plummeted.
“They did not like the scene at all. I’m glad that show creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong refused to remove it. The show pushes buttons, but is dealing with real issues and rich topics that really resonate within our community.”

Entertainers including Ledisi, B. Slade, Yolanda Adams, Jussie Smollett (plays Jamal on the new Fox show “Empire”) and many others came out to answer the call.

The ABACT event laid the foundation for slowing the rates of HIV/AIDS infections and deaths among Blacks by empowering and encouraging its members and partners to use their platforms to be a relatable voice of support for HIV testing and treatment.

“Whether people are afraid to get tested out of fear of the results or are in denial about their status, stigma and shame is literally killing thousands in our community each year,” said Christopher Johnson, AHF’s Associate Director of Communication and ABACT co-chair.

“The goal of ABACT is to form viable partnerships with cultural leaders in the Black community to create a true sense of urgency around the Black HIV/AIDS crisis, especially among young people who are largely unfamiliar with the early struggle,” Johnson said.

According to CDC reports, Black Americans account for almost half (44 percent) of all people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, yet they only account for 12 percent of the population.

Black Americans are the least likely of any other race or ethnicity to be retained in medical care to become virally suppressed through anti-retro viral drug therapy after becoming HIV positive.

By encouraging health advocates and cultural influencers to help combat stigma and shame in the African-American community, ABACT’S members believe the deep-seated fear that prevents people from knowing their status and consistently sticking to a treatment regimen can be removed.

Smollett, who portrays a gay character on the hit Fox series “Empire”, knows that addressing the subject of homophobia in the Black community as well as HIV/AIDS is a heavy lift. He was among a panel that discussed how stigma attitudes and silence equals death for African Americans.

Smollett said, “Art can change the world. My character is dealing with real issues, rich topics that really resonate with many.” He says he receives thousands of letters from young people saying they relate to his character Jamal.

Yolanda Adams said, “It’s time to rally the community, the church and the world to make them understand that we have to combat this.”

The taskforce is encouraging community leaders and influential members of the community to join ABACT in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS.

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Activism

Oakland’s ‘Green the Church,’ Others, Host a Climate Revival

On April 20, Oakland’s Green The Church California (GTC) and the Center For Food, Faith and Justice will celebrate Earth Day and present a Climate Revival event titled “Growing Healthy Communities From Soil To The Soul” at McGee Avenue Baptist Church at 1640 Stuart St, Berkeley, CA. The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

Published

16 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

The revival will take place at McGee Avenue Baptist Church in Berkeley on April 20. Courtesy image.

Growing Healthy Communities from Soil to the Soul in Berkeley

By Y’Anad Burrell

The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

The keynote speaker is Rev. Danté R. Quick, PhD, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, N.J. Quick is well known in the Bay Area, having served for more than 10 years as pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo, CA.

Green The Church, founded in 2010 by Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, Sr., and headquartered in Oakland, helps galvanize Black churches and their local communities and leaders to address issues critical to populations historically disengaged from conversations around pollution and health, climate change, and sustainability and energy efficiency.

The organization collaborates with major environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, and is committed to “creation justice”—care and justice for God’s people and the planet—and building the Beloved Community.

Environmental justice has long been a pressing concern for communities of color who bear the brunt of pollution and ecological degradation. Climate change exacerbates these issues, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities. Recognizing this urgency, Black churches across the country are taking action.

With deep roots in the African American community and its commitment to social justice, the Black Church has become an essential advocate for sustainable practices and policies.

Over the past 14 years, in a powerful collaboration with significant environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, GTC has created a cadre of Black churches engaging in the environmental justice, climate, and sustainability movement.

GTC presently works with more than 1,000 pastors and congregations across the U.S., and groups in the Bahamas, Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK, showing that we can make a difference together.

The partnership between environmental justice advocates and the Black Church extends beyond individual congregations. Green The Church provides resources and support for faith communities seeking to address climate change and promote environmental justice.

Through collaboration, initiatives such as energy efficiency programs, solar installations, and environmental education have been implemented in Black churches nationwide. These efforts reduce the carbon footprint and save money on energy bills, benefiting the congregations and their communities.

The involvement of the Black Church in the fight against climate change is not just a participation, it’s a powerful message that galvanizes action across communities.

By integrating environmental justice into their ministry, Black churches are demonstrating that addressing climate change is not only a matter of science but also of social and moral responsibility, inspiring change at a grassroots level.

For more information, go to: www.greenthechurch.org.

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Art

Marin County: A Snapshot of California’s Black History Is on Display

The Marin County Office of Education, located at 1111 Las Gallinas Ave in San Rafael, will host the extraordinary exhibit, “The Legacy of Marin City: A California Black History Story (1942-1960),” from Feb. 1 to May 31, 2024. The interactive, historical, and immersive exhibit featuring memorabilia from Black shipyard workers who migrated from the South to the West Coast to work at the Marinship shipyard will provide an enriching experience for students and school staff. Community organizations will also be invited to tour the exhibit.

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2024

Oakland Post

Early photo of Marin City in the exhibit showing the first department store, barber shop, and liquor store. (Photo by Godfrey Lee)

By Post Staff

The interactive, historical, and immersive exhibit featuring memorabilia from Black shipyard workers who migrated from the South to the West Coast to work at the Marinship shipyard will provide an enriching experience for students and school staff. Community organizations will also be invited to tour the exhibit.

All will have the opportunity to visit and be guided by its curator Felecia Gaston.

The exhibit will include photographs, articles and artifacts about the Black experience in Marin City from 1942 to 1960 from the Felecia Gaston Collection, the Anne T. Kent California Room Collection, The Ruth Marion and Pirkle Jones Collection, The Bancroft Library, and the Daniel Ruark Collection.

It also features contemporary original artwork by Chuck D of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Public Enemy, clay sculptures by San Francisco-based artist Kaytea Petro, and art pieces made by Marin City youth in collaboration with Lynn Sondag, Associate Professor of Art at Dominican University of California.

The exhibit explores how Marin City residents endured housing inequities over the years and captures the history of plans to remove Black residents from the area after World War II. Throughout, it embodies the spirit of survival and endurance that emboldened the people who made Marin City home.

Felecia Gaston is the author of the commemorative book, ‘A Brand New Start…This is Home: The Story of World War II Marinship and the Legacy of Marin City.’ Thanks to the generous contribution of benefactors, a set of Felecia’s book will be placed in every public elementary, middle, and high school library in Marin.

In addition, educators and librarians at each school will have the opportunity to engage with Felecia in a review of best practices for utilizing the valuable primary sources within the book.

“Our goal is to provide students with the opportunity to learn from these significant and historical contributions to Marin County, California, and the United States,” said John Carroll, Marin County Superintendent of Schools.

“By engaging with Felecia’s book and then visiting the exhibit, students will be able to further connect their knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of this significant historical period,” Carroll continued.

Felecia Gaston adds, “The Marin County Office of Education’s decision to bring the Marin City Historical Traveling Exhibit and publication, ‘A Brand New Start…This is Home’ to young students is intentional and plays a substantial role in the educational world. It is imperative that our community knows the contributions of Marin City Black residents to Marin County. Our youth are best placed to lead this transformation.”

The Marin County Office of Education will host an Open House Reception of the exhibit’s debut on Feb. 1 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.. All school staff, educators, librarians, and community members are encouraged to attend to preview the exhibit and connect with Felecia Gaston. To contact Gaston, email MarinCityLegacy@marinschools.org