In This Issue
This week we run a profile of Taraji P. Henson, the first in a series of stories about our 2017 Heroes in the Struggle—a select group of individuals and organizations that have made heroic contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Black America.
These influential activists will be inducted into the Heroes in the Struggle Hall of Fame at the Heroes in the Struggle Gala Reception and Awards Presentation on September 16th at the Darryl F. Zanuck Theater at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles.
The star-studded event will feature Black AIDS Institute board member Jussie Smollett as the event chair and host for the evening. We are particularly excited that all of this year's inductees will be women. We will honor Vanessa Williams (Soul Food, Days of Our Lives, New Jack City), Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black), Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave, Desperate Housewives, Captain America, Steel Magnolias, Luke Cage), and Gina Brown, CHIP Program Coordinator at the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies in New Orleans, and recently resigned member of the President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Celebrated R&B singer/songwriter Ledisi is slated to perform a musical tribute during the evening.
Because the event is completely underwritten by major donors, every penny raised goes directly into efforts to end the epidemic, help people get in to care and stay into care, protect themselves from HIV infections, and advocate for sound HIV/AIDS policies—including defending the Affordable Care Act and other programs that help poor people receive the care and support they need and deserve. Seats are priced at various levels that offer something for everyone, from $75 to VIP tickets. To attend, become a sponsor, join the host committee, or place an advertisement in the program book, click here or contact Wendell Miller at
Also in this issue, we report on the Black AIDS Institute's Brown Bag Lunch webinar about pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. We profile African American HIV University graduate Yolanda Price, of our BTAN Melbourne, Fla., chapter, who talks about her commitment to spreading the word about PrEP and prevention to Black women.
Memphis based HIV/AIDS advocate Eddie Wiley talks about his HIV diagnosis, going on treatment, the importance of PrEP and his decision to come out to his clients and on social media to take on shame and stigma.
Finally, we cannot take our eye off the ball, as President Trump and members of his administration look for ways to undermine the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. We run a story from our friends at Kaiser Health News on the administration's efforts to shrink Medicaid.
Yours in the struggle,
Phill