In This Issue

Sometimes it's important to pause and look back before you move forward. Today is 9/11. And, I for one, need to sit with that for a minute. I need to remember what happened that day.

I need to remember the tragedy and the feelings of loss and fear. But most importantly, I need to remember how we survived it by, for the most part, turning to each other and not away from each other, even though there was a rise in anti-Arab bigotry that we have not yet resolved. I believe most of us understood that our healing was inextricably connected to our ability to love each other, to mourn together, and to commit to move forward together. Sadly, it is a lesson that we are constantly relearning.

On the plane on my way to USCA this week, a White man looked at my "Black Lives Matter" t-shirt and told me it offended him.

He said, "I believe all lives matter."

"I do too," I replied. "My declaring, as a Black man, that my life matters in no way suggests that any other life does not."

Yesterday, DeRay Mckesson, of the We the Protesters arm of the Black Lives Matter movement, talked about intersectionality, and the power of shining a spotlight on injustice and creating opportunities for people who would not otherwise come together.

I know these lessons learned are fleeting. But as long as we are willing to remember and relearn them, there is hope.

In this issue we report on the breakfast plenary session at Day One of the 2015 USCA, where the theme was "The numbers don't lie: It's time to end disparities!" and we talked about the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and its relationship to ending the AIDS epidemic.

We also update you on what happened at the Black AIDS Institute's National Black PrEP Summit on Wednesday, where we raised awareness about this biomedical tool that holds so much promise for changing the course of the epidemic, particularly among Black gay men.

You will also read about the new Help-4-Hep helpline which offers free, confidential peer counseling from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

And we wrap up with two stories about Black Lives Matter from our friends at Colorlines. In one, we share a piece about "Classic Man" vocalist, Jidenna, who has participated in a series of public actions to support Black lives, including the #BlackJoy protest and the protest song "Hell You Talmbout."

We also run a piece about tennis player James Blake's brush earlier this week with police brutality at the hands of the NYPD. That, my friend, is offensive.

Yours in the struggle,

Phill