In This Issue

Last week the Black AIDS Institute had a fantastic time at the USCA in Washington, D.C., where we held our National BTAN Meeting, the Black PrEP Summit, several Twitter conversations, our Black Lives Matter Hub, the Black Lives Matter Roadmap Challenge and published the Black AIDS Daily. We are very proud of the work that we did, equipping people with knowledge they need to end AIDS in Black America.

In this issue we continue our reporting on the conference, starting with a conversation with Christopher Wilson-Smith, the Institute's new prevention and care manager and the manager for the Black Treatment and Advocacy (BTAN) chapter in Los Angeles, Calif., which is now fully funded and ramping up its work.

Next, one of the USCA Social Media Fellows, Manyonge Jarrett Makokha, better known as Jai...With the Funny Name, writes about why he went on PrEP and the challenges he faces accessing it. Jai was among a large group of bloggers, video bloggers (vloggers), writers, filmmakers and digital storytellers we spent time with. Guy Anthony and Ken Williams were among them. Our friends at AIDS.gov report on the work these two gentlemen and others are doing to tell their stories about being virally suppressed and living with HIV through the #mypositivespin initiative.

The USCA ended on Sunday with its gospel brunch. Our friends at Crowd360 report.

Finally, later this week we turn our attention toward the Congressional Black Caucus. We invite you to join California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Douglas Brooks, director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, and other experts as we discuss, "The National AIDS Strategy Reboot, HIV, and Reaching Marginalized Populations," on Thursday, September 17, 2015, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in Room 209A of the Washington Convention Center.

Yours in the struggle,

Phill