Today, December 1, marks World AIDS Day and the beginning of HIV Awareness Month.
While this deadly epidemic continues to affect the entire world, it has hit especially hard in the Black community. According to the CDC’s 2019 reporting, 40% of people living with HIV in the U.S. are Black, despite making up only 13% of the U.S. population. With several factors playing into the disproportionate impact of HIV among Black Americans (racism, systemic inequities, etc.), it is especially crucial for us to take action.
As much as it is a day for taking action, World AIDS Day is also a day of remembering and celebrating the impact of those we lost along the way. Since first coming into the public conscience in the 1980s, we have lost a number of notable Black trailblazers. However, their spirit and impact will last forever.
Scroll through our gallery to remember those we lost to HIV/AIDS
#KnowYourStatus #BreakTheStigma
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