News 2010
Black Labor Union Teaches Members About HIV/AIDS
Throughout history, labor unions have been known for organizing workers to fight for better benefits, contracts and wages. More recently, organized labor has battled to eliminate job discrimination and make the workplace safe. But these days, the mission of some unions includes a surprising new twist: educating members about HIV/AIDS.
One such union is the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), the nation's oldest and largest independent labor organization representing Black workers. Known for its ability to mobilize African American voters to influence elections and public policy, the CBTU is one of 12 recipients of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) first round of Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) grants to increase HIV-related awareness, knowledge and action within Black communities.
Scared Straight: High HIV Rates Among Black NYC Women Frighten a Health Reporter
My longtime lover and I were driving through Harlem when we passed a billboard that made me want to slam on the brakes and pull the car over. On it were two women--one Black and one Latina--their pretty, youthful faces in lights. But under their pictures was a statistic that sucker-punched me: 93.4 percent.
As in, 93.4 of all new HIV cases among women in NYC occur among Black and Latina women.
As in a mere six-plus percentage points away from 100?
"Oh, hell no!" I thought, and then turned to my boo and asked, "When was the last time you took an HIV test, again?"
Read more: Scared Straight: High HIV Rates Among Black NYC Women Frighten a Health Reporter
When You Know Better, You Do Better, Part 2
The second in a series exploring issues raised on a recent episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Last week we started a conversation in response to an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show with Bridget Gordon, an HIV positive woman who was infected by her DL husband, and J.L. King, author of "On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of 'Straight' Black Men Who Sleep with Men". At one point, Oprah raised the subject of living with HIV. I’ve been living with HIV for over 30 years, which provides me with an interesting viewpoint on the subject. So, what is it like to live with HIV/AIDS?
Eddie Long and Tyler Clementi news urges greater analysis
By JULIAN BOND
What are the lessons to be drawn from the geographically separated controversies over Bishop Eddie Long in Atlanta and the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi in New York?
Young Clementi took his life when his roommate secretly broadcast a sexual encounter he had with another man.
Four men have charged the Atlanta mega-church pastor with using his clerical position to coerce them into having sex with him when they were teenagers.
Read more: Eddie Long and Tyler Clementi news urges greater analysis
ACTOR BOBBE' J. THOMPSON BECOMES TEEN AMBASSADOR FOR HIV AND AIDS
Star is among the youngest activists to join the cause and raise awareness to fight stigma in the Black community
Popular young actor Bobbe' J. Thompson recently announced that he will become a teen ambassador for HIV and AIDS. Thompson, whose credits include "Role Models" and "30 Rock" will use his celebrity to fight AIDS stigma, raise awareness about the magnitude of HIV/AIDS in Black communities, and encourage young people to get involved and get tested for HIV.
Read more: ACTOR BOBBE' J. THOMPSON BECOMES TEEN AMBASSADOR FOR HIV AND AIDS