…A random thought on the policies and procedures that keep us from proceeding against AIDS effectively… 

Do you think the Obama Administration is doing enough about HIV/AIDS in America, particularly among minorities? Apparently, this topic has been deemed one of the least important issues of this Presidency. With the oil spill, the economic crisis, gay rights, judicial appointments and state dinners…who has the time to think and act against HIV…Not another slogan, get the money to the masses…some smaller non-profits have got the goods when it comes to effective strategies, but alas, the gatekeeper that would be DHHS and the CDC holds the magic wand to grant or not to grant monies…pithy, pithy…people are still dying and passing out condoms has not solved the problem…let the church take the reins, it is after all how you got to your lofty position as the leader of the free world…yes, the black church was the backbone of the civil rights movement…if that’s news, then someone has failed this generation indeed…read, read, read to know your history, because a mouth will say anything, never take someones word if you can read the words for yourself…AIDS kills, let’s put it to death now!

I watched with tears in my eyes and excitement in my heart as Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th and the first, African American president of the United States of America. The moment was sweet for me and people like me, who had waited and worked toward this day. From cotton fields to kitchens, and from colleges to corporations, the taste of victory was sweet indeed.  It was sweet for people like my mother who made her pilgrimage to the inauguration on Tuesday just as she joined  Dr. King in the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965.

Born in the early 40’s, in rural Alabama she picked cotton as a sharecropper, walked 8 miles a day to elementary school and eventually realized her dreams, graduating from both Tuskegee Institute, (now Tuskegee University) and Xavier University; now a retired teacher, but a lifetime educator and activist. The inauguration was sweet for the King’s, the Kennedy’s, and Mama. The city of Atlanta felt proud, the city of Memphis felt redeem, and the city of D.C. felt renewed.
But the moment is also bittersweet when I think of the disproportionate number of blacks infected with HIV/AIDS, scores of young black men incarcerated, and women raising babies alone more than ever. We have traveled such an incredible journey, and endured such great tribulation only to arrive at the pinnacle of honor, the apex of power, with an enemy in our midst that threatens current and future generations of African American people. Wonder of wonders, it is not the end of the whip, nor the back seat of the bus.
The theme for National Black AIDS Awareness Day 2009 is, “Black Life Is Worth Saving.” This statement is poignant, but sad, because it suggests that at some point, black families, black communities, and black people, in some regards, diminished in value. As we reflect on the inauguration, we are re-affirmed that black life is worth saving. Yet, so much disparity exists in our society as we continue to grapple with HIV across the board in our community.
In his speech, President Obama admonished the country to work together through the “winter of our hardships…for everywhere we look, there is work to be done.” A former community organizer, he understands how important a strong community is to building a strong nation. Knowing that “Black Life Is Worth Saving,” let’s join our president, our leader, and take up the baton with a renewed commitment to be our brother’s keeper in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Your life, my life, one life, black life, EVERY life, worth saving.

Yours In The Struggle, Natasha
HIV/AIDS is a major crisis worldwide. Get Involved. Stay Involved.

Why The Saints Don’t Talk About Sex
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/talking-to-tasha/2009/07/13/why-dont-the-saints-talk-about-sex
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/aa/index.htm