Eric Holder's Racial Justice Legacy

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder speaks at the 44th Annual Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference on September 26, 2014 in Washington, D.C.

When President Barack Obama picked Eric Holder to head the United States Department of Justice in 2008, he selected someone committed to the democratic principle of equal protection under the law. You have to go all the way back to the 1960s—the days of Bobby Kennedy and Nicholas Katzenbach—to find justice department chiefs who were as boldly committed to these principles. Having taken the post some 50 years later than Katzenbach and Kennedy, Holder has proceeded in creating a similar justice regime in these regards.

In This Issue

Nowhere in this country is HIV growing faster among Black gay and bisexual men than in the South, which also has some of the nation's highest infection rates. Here, writer April Eugene lays out 8 issues that must be addressed to reduce our nation's "southern exposure".

Ending Southern Discomfort: 8 Ways to Fight the AIDS Epidemic Down South

Megan McLemore

If the United States is serious about ushering in an AIDS-free generation, our nation must end the epidemic in the South. Eight of the 10 states with the highest HIV infection rates are located below the Mason-Dixon Line, as are nine of the 10 states with the highest AIDS fatality rates. Researchers at the Southern HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative have identified Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas as states where HIV has a disproportionate impact, especially on African Americans. Miami; New Orleans; Atlanta; Jackson, Miss.; Columbia, S.C.; and San Antonio are among the Southern cities with the highest HIV rates.

San Francisco Politician: 'I Take A Pill Called Truvada'

Scott Wiener

In an effort to combat stigma that has arisen around a treatment that prevents HIV, a San Francisco elected official announced publicly that he is taking the medicine. City Supervisor Scott Wiener said that he is taking Truvada, an FDA-approved drug that dramatically reduces the risk of HIV infection. He appears to be first public official to make such an announcement.

Using New Media on College Campuses to Improve HIV/AIDS Education

Back to school

It's that time of year. Students across the country are settling into colleges and universities, many living away from home and responsible for their own well-being for the first time. As a college student and summer intern for AIDS.gov, I'm interested in how college campuses are using social media to promote awareness around HIV/AIDS.