It’s been a long time coming but the stigma of HIV/AIDS has faded. Some may attribute this triumph to Magic Johnson who revealed he was HIV positive nearly 20 years ago to instill hope and promote awareness. The National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS Inc. (NBLCA) has launched “30 Years Strong! Together We Will Win,” an online commemorative journal as the first phase of a series of events during 2011 marking the 30th anniversary of this deadly virus.
“The goal is to tell the story of HIV/AIDS through the people who have been impacted by the epidemic,” offered C. Virginia Fields, president and CEO of the NBLCA in a press statement. “We want to know about loved ones who have succumbed to the disease – who they were, what impact they had on their friends, families and the world before they passed on. We want to hear about the ones left behind, and how they have coped with their losses. And we want to know about those living with HIV or AIDS – how they are able to keep going day after day and how that struggle has changed them.”
In January 2011, the Commission will compile an online commemorative journal highlighting the impact AIDS has had in America over the last 30 years. The photos, videos and stories will be posted on Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. They need your help. Visit www.nblca.org for an important video message from Fields and details on how to participate in this initiative.
“We are doing this because we believe that the battle against HIV/AIDS is ultimately about people – about helping them and saving them,” Fields added. “By connecting this 30-year struggle with real people and real situations, we can help to humanize it and help everyone to better understand why it is so important to win this battle. We will win it, but we have to keep on fighting. We must never forget who we are fighting for. That’s why we think it is so important to put faces on this struggle.” –yvette caslin
