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The Journal of AID Atlanta page 2 National Conference on AIDS in the Black Community Washington Convention Center Washington, D.C. Friday, July 18, 1986 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. FOCUS To address the need for greater awareness and involvement by the Black Community in die ongoing responses to die AIDS health crisis. A disproportionate number of Blacks have been diagnosed as having AIDS or an AIDS Related Condition/Complex (ARC) —■ including Blacks who are Gay, Bisexual, and/or IV Drug users. Additionally, Blacks are disproportionately represented in the statistics of women and children who have been diagnosed with AIDS or ARC. SPONSOR The National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays and other civil rights and social service organizations. FUNDED In part by a grant from die United States Public Health Service. CONTACT Craig Harris, Conference Coordinator, NCBLG, INC. 930 F Street, N.W., Suite 514, Washington, D.C. 20004 202/737-5276. BLACK AND WHITE MEN TOGETHER by Richard Bono Central to AID Atlanta’s efforts to educate blacks about the spread of AIDS is the cooperation it receives from the Atlanta chapter of Black and White Men Together (BWMT). With 115 members, the local group has produced an active AIDS Education Committee that has conducted risk reduction "parties" and disseminated news releases and brochures about AIDS throughout the gay and straight black communities in Atlanta. "I believe BWMT has a genuine concern about what happens in the gay community," said Duncan Teague, chairman of the AIDS Education Committee.| "Because of our concern for the lack of informnation reaching the minority community," he said, "it wasn’t hard forming this committee and getting a lot of support." Established a year ago, BWMT’s AIDS Education. Committee has been able to reach Atlanta’s black gay community in ways other groups have not. "BWMT has done quite a bit," said AID Atlanta Director Rev. Ken South. 'They have provided AID Atlanta with many suggestions on how to reach the black gay community. We could not have made the inroads we have without BWMT." Teague says part of BWMT’s success is due to the fact that "there is ho where else to turn if you want to reach black gay men organized." But, he nonetheless laments that even their best efforts to educate black gays often hit a dead end. "Many black gays are ignorant of the facts that concern them," he said. "I think because the same creativity that has been used to get the message to white gays has not been used to get the message to black gays, that there is a misconception among a large group of black gays that AIDS is not something they should be concerned with - that it is somehow a white man’s disease." Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control on AIDS in the United States revel a different picture of the spread of the disease. It is estimated that black Americans account for 25 percent of AIDS cases in a country where they make up 12 percent of the population. Other roadblocks BWMT has encountered involve those black men in the straight community who engage in occasional homosexula behavior, but do not considerr themselves gay. 'These are the people that are very hard to reach," said Teague. "If a brochure about AIDS has the word "gay" on it, they think they have no reason to pick it up. Or, they are even repeljed at the idea." The often negative reaction of the straight black community to BWMT limits the group’s impact, Teague said. "Making inroads into the larger black community in Atlanta is difficult," he said. "It isn’t always comfortable for our members to make their gayness known or their involvement with BWMT." Teague says the blacks that compose roughly half of BWMT membership are not necessarily estranged from the larger black community, but they "do not travel in those circles." In fact, Teague said, 'In our particular organization, I have found, paradoxically, that our white members often have inroads into the black community where our black members do not. It’s just a different case." Black and White Men Together is an interracial group, whose membership Teague says amusedly "is so diverse you wouldn’t believe." Atlanta BWMT membership includes professionals in many fields, from doctors and lawyers to students, laborers, performers and, said Teague, "to people who wait tables and dream impossible dreams."' Atlanta BWMT is part of the National Association of Black and White Men Together, whose national convention July 4 in New York City will coincide with the celebrations surrounding the unveiling of the newly- refurbished Statue of Liberty. CDC SAYS, "NO $!" ■ FIGHT ■ THE FEAR WITH FACTS AIDS INFO-UNE 876-9944 AID Atlanta’s P.R. Committee Jean Levine Chairperson Richard Bono Ralph Ginn Sharon Kricun Helen Treto Adrian West Johnny D. Walsh Editor, The Jourhalof AID ATLANTA THE JOURNAL TheJoumal ofAIDAtlanta is published ty AIDAtlanta, Inc,asocial service agency that provides support to Persons with AIDS and education to the public about AIDS.,- \ AIDAtlanta, Inc is incorporated in ‘the'xtlte of Georgia as a non profit, tax expempt, tax deductable corporatimCThis journal exists to explore and to accurately document the toil)) of emotion and experience of persons affected in any way by the Acquired Immune Deficency Syndrome Opinions expressed by columnists, writers, photoptfrbns Or by any other form ofartisticex press ion arethoseofthe writers and artist's, an d do not necessarily represent the opinion of The Journal of AH>Atfiiiit| or AID Atlanta, Inc. Publication of names,' photoffaphs or likeness of any persoiy persons, organizations or businesses does not imply and is not to construed as any indication of sexual orientation or the state 6f personal health. . . ^ The names of Persons with AI DS, their family,.friends or lovers .are used ONLY with their permissidn. AIDAtlanta and TheJoumal ofiUD Atlanta respect the constitutionally garunteed right of all persons to privacy. The Journal of AID Atlanta is copyright 1985 by AID Atlanta, Inc. Permission must he obtained in writing to reprint any ofthe articles,, statements, letters dr p^otogaphs contained in this journal. Money that would have been used to develop a special committee to disseminate AIDS information to the black community was recently denied AID Atlanta when the U. S. Centers for Disease Control refused to give the non-profit agency a $209,000 grant for which it had applied. 'The idea was to put together a campaign using outreach workers geared to four different audiences: straight black men, IV drug users, gay males and youth," said Rev. Ken South, executive director of AID Atlanta. "Our risk reduction campaign would have been modified for each group," he said. But, the $209,000 grant that would have funded the targeted AIDS education campaigns was withheld by CDC and AID Atlanta officials are bristling at the action. "Our hunch is that it has become a policy of the Centers for Disease Control not to fund community-based prevention programs," said South. 'They don’t want to fund them because they’re too politically hot." . Even the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which does community-based outreach programs using money granted from the CDC, has been cut off from funds, according to South. Had AID Atlanta received the CDC grant, black outreach workers would have been hired to "serve as a link between AID Atlanta and the black community," said South. It was hoped that the committees aimed at straight black men and IV needle users would have made a direct impact on the spread of the disease in the black community. Annual Memorial Service for People Who Have Died From AIDS AID Atlanta will sponsor the Annual Memorial Service for People Who Have Died Rom AIDS on Sunday June 29,1986 at All Saints'Episcopal Church. The service will take place at 3:00 pm. AID Atlanta is compiling a list of those to be remembered in this .year's service. Members ofthe communily are asked to call AID Atlanta with the names of persons to be remembered in this service. A special "Ad-hoc" choir is being formed to sing at the service. Anyone interested in serving in this choir is also asked to contact AID Atlanta at 872-0600 and leave their name and number. This opportunity for members of the community to come together and share the loss and grief that AIDS has brought to our lives is an important part of the healing process. Too often, the grief that comes from losing someone to AIDS is not given the public rituals that help the grieving to heal. Join with your community in remembering. atlanta fflTf 811 Cypress St. Atlantal, GA 30308 404 872-0600 # • # AID Atlanta Is a voluntary health and human service organization dedicated to responding to the epidemic of Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrom (AIDS). Your personal donation- is needed and welcomed. WOMEN’S BLOOD DRIVE sponsored by: Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance Midtown YWCA Women’s Task Force of AID Atlanta JUNE 27, 1986 To make an appointment contact: Midtown YWCA 892-3476 First Existentialist Church 378-5570 For more information about the Blood Drive and what you and/or your organization can do to help, contact: Linda Wiltse at 892-3476 To Exprett Solidarity and Support for People With AIDS