Community Marches and Speaks Out against HIV/AIDS in SE DC

On Saturday Nov 3rd around 150 people took to the streets in SE Washington, DC to demand changes to the way the HIV/AIDS epidemic is being addressed. The Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association and DC Fights Back were joined by numerous organizations and community members.You can read the Examiner's coverage of the event here In this photo members of RAP Inc serving as marshals for the March. Community members were joined by folks from MetroTeen AIDS, Save Lives Free the Condoms, GW Student Global AIDS Campaign, the American Federal Government Employees Union Local 12, and many others. Recently there have been some positive changes made by the government of the District of Columbia in the way it is responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. DC Fights Back applauds the community oriented approach taken by Dr. Shannon Hader. But clearly there are serious problems remaining, many of which are outside of the scope of Dr. Hader's authority. In this photo hundreds of participants lined the streets in SE. This March in South East was undertaken to highlight the institutional and social determinants of HIV and AIDS. Many of the principles put forward by both DCFB and MWPHA members are captured by the Prevention Justice Mobilization Campaign. The most succinct of these is AIDS DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE… BUT SOCIETY DOES. In this photo Larry Bryant and George Kerr help to facilitate the Speak Out portion of the day. The Speak Out was meant to continue the dialogue about why HIV/AIDS is so catastrophic in DC, to understand why certain communities bear such a disproportionate burden of HIV while others, even though they have the same levels of “individual risk activity,” do not. We wanted to further an understanding of how two individuals from different communities can engage in the same activities but be at much different levels of risk for HIV. At the last Speak Out community members identified four critical areas where disparities exist which fuel the local epidemic. At this Speak Out we concentrated on determining concrete and obtainable solutions in these areas, In this photo participants eat and get ready for the break out groups. 1)JOBS 2)HOUSING 3)YOUTH 4)SUBSTANCE ABUSE Each group discussed the problems and came up with concrete solutions which will be posted on www.dcfightsback.org when we have arranged them. A highlight of the Speak Out portion was when we were joined by Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry who sat in on each of the groups, listened, promised his support to our efforts, and encouraged participants to work with local government on finding and implementing solutions. In this photo Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry participates in the Jobs break out group This day of solidarity and action is not the end, but rather the beginning of a campaign to affect serious policy changes to End AIDS in the District! Upcoming events: Saturday, November 17 12:00pm: OUTREACH and Housing Committee meeting at Highlands Public Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW. More info www.mwpha.org Wednesday, November 28 5:30pm: ALL OUT for the school health education hearing at the State Board of Education; 441 4th St. NW. More info www.metroteenaids.org (Judiciary Square) Friday, November 30 1:00pm: World AIDS Day, Action at the White House. One of policy asks identified at the Speak Out will be included as the local ask for this action. More info www.dcfightsback.org