[MIAMI] – Congresswoman Frederica Wilson issued the following statement in recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day:
“It is fitting that we recognize National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day each year during Black History Month. HIV has disproportionately impacted the black community for a quarter-century. And, stark racial disparities in new and late diagnoses persist in 2021.
“We also honor the black advocates and activists across the country. Those who are paving the path toward ending the HIV epidemic. And the entrenched stigma that exists in many of our communities. Many of them have been engaged in this work from the start. And, have persevered through the ebbs and flows of their work being denigrated or ignored. We applaud the work of emerging black LGBTQ leaders fighting to end the structural injustices that continue to underpin the epidemic.
“This day is a reminder of the importance of getting tested and treated – even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ending the HIV epidemic in the black community is a key component of ending it across the nation. Let us commit ourselves to achieving this goal on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day–and every day.”
