All Black Lives Mattered at the 16th Heroes in the Struggle Gala

Heroes in the Struggle

 The Black AIDS Institute held its 16th Heroes in the Struggle Gala June 18, 2015, at the Directors Guild of America in Beverly Hills, Calif. The event honored a diverse group of individuals who embody the organization's motto, "Our people, our struggle, our problem."

The star-studded event, hosted by Scandal's Brian J. White, included a bevy of Hollywood heavyweights, including John Singleton, Shanola Hampton, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Wilson Cruz and Danny Glover. This year's gala honored Gregorio Millett, vice president and director of public policy for the Foundation for AIDS Research, or AmfAR; Janssen Therapeutics, a division of Janssen Products LP, a pharmaceutical company leading the way on virology therapy; Vanessa Mills, executive director of Empower "U" Inc., a community health center in Miami; and longtime activist Jussie Smollett, star of Fox's hit drama Empire.

Cruz explained exactly why the Black AIDS Institute and the HITS Gala are so important. "This organization is a cornerstone of the LGBT community and a cornerstone of communities of color," the actor said. "At a time when HIV and AIDS was a national epidemic, there was very little attention paid to people of color who were afflicted and dying. This organization really shined a light on the losses we were feeling in our communities."

Nefertiti Greene, president of Janssen Therapeutics, also discussed the importance of the Institute's work. "The work of the Black AIDS Institute to stop the HIV pandemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing institutions and individuals continues to be vital to everything we do," she said.

Although the goal of the event was to honor the men and women who have dedicated their lives to ending the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the African American community, one thing was also clear: Black lives matter.

The phrase, which has become a rallying cry for protesters across the nation, was repeated throughout the evening by every single honoree, driving home the point that all Black lives matter, regardless of status.

"The litany of recent tragedies that began with Trayvon [Martin] and continues with yesterday's horrific incident in South Carolina prove that our country, despite much progress that has been made, is far from a post-racial society. And HIV isn't post-racial, either," Millett told attendees. "In one of his most important speeches on HIV, long before the phrase 'Black lives matter' had much meaning, President Obama said that when new infections among Black gay men increase by nearly 50 percent over three years, we've got to do more to show that their lives matter. And when Black women continue to feel forgotten, even though they make up the majority of cases among women, we've got to do more. These thoughts are as true now as when the president uttered them three years ago."

Millett went on to call for comprehensive policies targeting communities of color, who make up the majority of new HIV cases. This startling fact is exactly what made Jussie Smollett become an outspoken proponent of the Institute and its cause.

"[HIV/AIDs is] an issue for humankind, and we're human beings. I couldn't possibly see a reason why I wouldn't be affected by it, and it's not over yet. Any injustice, any disadvantage, and further education that needs to be talked about, we should talk about," Smollett said.

In addition to being honored for his work, the Empire star was excited to become the newest Black AIDS Institute board member. "I've been waiting to be on the board. It's special. It's the first time I've been a board member, and it's important to me that it's an issue that I really, really genuinely care about," Smollett said. "The Black AIDS Institute has changed so many lives, and Phill Wilson has been one of my greatest inspirations and mentors, like for over half my life."

Mills shared her moving testimony with the crowd. "I'm able to live, and HIV has given me a reason to live," she told the audience before recounting her past drug addiction. Twenty years ago, Mills was incarcerated when she was both pregnant and infected with HIV. The odds were stacked against her, but she decided to use her diagnosis to help others.

"It was my duty, once I got clean and sober, to bring people out of this misery because their lives matter," she said. "I don't consider myself a hero. I'm a humble soldier in this war. This war against AIDS has lasted too long."

Phill Wilson, the Institute's president and CEO, echoed her thoughts. "Things are getting better, but not better enough, and certainly not fast enough," Wilson said. "We have a lot of work to do. Black lives matter, and still our lives are being devalued and diminished. And just when we think we've gotten somewhere, our lives are being snuffed out."

Wilson added, "Black lives have to matter long before we're lying in the street."

Britni Danielle is a Los Angeles-based writer and novelist who frequently covers pop culture, race and parenting.