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Teachers, teachers, teachers, oh what a blessing!
When I reported to the
first grade my teachers were
the same ladies who had
held those positions for
countless years. Over the
decades they taught several
enerations of Richland
%amilics.
My first grade teacher was
Miss Pauline Norman. She
lived with her nephew and
family near the school; she
never married and didn't
own an automobile.
My second grade teacher
was Miss Maggie Dillard.
She and her sister lived in a
duplex home near the
school; she never married
and didn't own an automo
bile.
CSRA: ‘Sobering Statistis
Continued from page 1A
ton, funding, change behavior
and provide information.
Infections among gay white
males have fallen, but Blacks
remain dispr()p()rd()natr AIDS
victims. The discasc is ravaging
the community primarily
through unprotected sex and
intravenous drug use.
J()hn Nulan, ficalth Dc -
ment Director, vu(nli'lrcf,xl |
think a lot of progress has been
made in the f!l)ght sainst HIV
and AIDS, but wcataw along
way to go. | encourage every
nnZ" to E« tLSth r:{% addZl,
“About twenty-five pereent of
persons infected with the virus
do not know.”
The various speakers con
veyed the battle rages in the war
against AIDS. Ms. Wimberly
articulated very sobering statis
tics, “Georgia ranks eighth in
the number of cases in the
country.” r
“Inu}’unc, the rate of AIDS
cases had risen to 1,582 in the
East Central Health District,
and in the state, we're up from
Not In My Family: Essays illuminate HIV/AIDS
Special to the NNPA
Hooe o N adengh G
PITTSBURGH (NNPA) -
While the statistics of how
African-Americans are dispro
ortionately affected by
EIV/AIDS scems to be com
mon knowledge, the commu
nity is sall highly affected by
the immune system altering
That is why writer, turned
author, Gil Robertson has put
together a new book that takes
adifferent approach on educat
ing the masses about
HIV/AIDS in a more familial
manner. Not In My Family:
AIDS in the African-American
Community, is a book of essays
from sbme of the best known
names in entertainment, poli
tics and community activism.
But what is even more unique
about the book is that there are
also essays from everyday indi
viduals who have been affected
by the discase in different ways.
“Evuyom has been affected by
HIV/AIDS,” states one essay
writer in the 300-plus-page
tumer.
“HIV has robbed me of
some of my most brilliant, col
orful and talented friends and
@odm" admits actor Isaiah
i in his praise for
dxem ampm Vivica
A Fox pleads, “Please read this
book to get informed on how
u can protect you and your
a 1 I e B
the anthology.
Robertson wanted to do the
book because he felt exploring
the subject in “our community
was long overdue.
“No opportunity had ever been
presented to our community to
ences as it relates to
HIV/AIDS,” he comments. “I
My third grade teacher
was Miss Audley Elrod.
She lived with her sister and
brother in their family
home near the school; she
never married and didn't
own an automobile.
Our teachers took great
ride in being a parent away
E’nm home. IF we forgot
our homework or misgc—
haved during class, they
called our house and dis
cussed the situation.
I was a good student; |
did my homework and
always turned it in on time.
] always got an “S” in
deportment. In those days
there were only two mari(s
in deportment; S for satis
29,913 to 30,168 to date,” she
said.
Thursday evening, Paine
College held an insightful
awareness program and candle
light walk at Gilbert-Lambuth
Memorial Chapel.. The speak
er was the Reverend Gregory
Fuller, pastor of Macedonia
Baptist Church. A pub crawl
was also part of the festivities
employed to bring awareness of
the plight of AIDS in our com
munity.
Sobering Statstics
® linso Black menand 1 in
160 Black women in America
are infected with HIV;
» Alth()ugh Blacks ()nly rep
resent about 12 percent of the
IS, p()pulati()n, among those
with full-blown AIDS 40 per
cent are Black men, 61 percent
are Black women and 62 per
cent are Black children.
* AIDS is the number one
cause of death for Black men
and women ages 25-44, before
heart disease, cancer and homi
ade.
thought it was high time for the
Black community [to] enter
[into] the conversation.”
While others have danced
around the topic of HIV/AIDS
and its effects, Robertson says
he wanted to tackle the topic
head on.
“Given the relevance of
HIV/AIDS I knew that it was
a subject worthy of my atten
tion,” he said. “The discase is
here, all around us like a white
elephant in a very small room.
[t was tme to address it straight
on.
“Black American, we have a
problem,” begins “Not In My
Family.” The first two parts of
the book deal with the facts as
we all have heard them:
*The cumulative number of
AIDS cases reported to the
CDC through December
2002 is 744,4687 :
*Of those, 292,522 occurred
among African-Americans.
*African-Americans make up
50 peraent of all reported
AIDS cases in this country.
Dr. Rani Whitfield, affec
tonately known as the Hip
Hop Doc in his hometown of
Baton Rouge, LA, is the author
of Giving Back: The Greatest
Love q‘/:i in the book.
On an average, Whitfield
said he has had t inform
someone “who looks like me”
of his or her HIV/AIDS status
T
m - WO
see pcop{c d:z:m like me
suffering from some major
atrodities,” he said. “We am?ar’
ing a pandemic and people are
nu.t?t realizing it.” Cul'ltndypeo in
rivate practice in Baton
Eougc, \ghnfidd volunteers
throughout his community
and in the pn to educate
about halcg and prevention.
AUGUSTA FOCUS
factory and U for unsatis
factory.
Evcrgthing seemed to be
aErcca le undl the night
that Miss Elrod telephoned
our house.
Mamma and Daddy had
dinner guests so | instructed
to answer the telephone,
and take down messages.
My heart nearly stopped
when Miss Elrm}’ asked for
:i, mother to return her
I.My hands were shaking
as | wrote down the two
digit phone number that
bc%ongcd to my teacher.
She didn'’t sound upset, but
| was terrified. If rwcre in
trouble, my parents would
never forgive me.
Preacher: Rev. Jackson has turned a preachers way with words into movements
Continued from page 1A
modern) have fallen off
that boat. This new Black
Preacher doesn’t protest,
boycott, demonstrate, push
for legislation, or even
speak out for blacks to be
treated fairly. They have
tried to fit into another
archetype by introducing
drug counseling programs,
soup kitchens, homework
clubs, and make shift
‘5OlC3s” that really don't
provide any service at all.
They just ask for govern
ment money to fund their
vacations, Cadillacs and
excursions with women.
They try to come across as
ifit is ab(‘)ut Black Empnw'
erment; with this demon
strated, at the same time,
they are trying to seize your
pockets with the Prosperity
Preaching. Many of these
preachers we encounter
now that don’t want to
involve their churches in
the actions not only in the
He feels the book is great, and
not just because he is in it
“The book takes a grassroots
approach on educating,” he
said. “There are a number of
misconceptions about this dis
ease. We have got to spark a
serious discussion not just
about HIV/AIDS, but the
importance of health overall.”
His essay, tells the story of a
family he is very familiar with
who has all been infected with
HIV/AIDS through the shar
ing of drug needles. “They
entire family shared necdles,”
states Whitfield in his essay.
“There is only one son left. The
family name and family tree
stops with him ... Every time |
see him, | tell him that he
should write a book about his
family.” Robertson hopes these
stories will change lives.
“As [ worked with various con
tributors [ could literally feel
their passion and spirit,” said
Robertson of his experience of
putting the book together. “At
times it was a rocky road get
ting folks to really open up, but
(the end result is) a project filled
with positive and empowering
messages that | hope will
impact lives.” Deya Smith, an
HmDS acuvist who cur
rendy resides in Los Angeles,
CA, shares what motivated her
to become an activist for the
disease. Her essay recalls when
she was first introduced to the
disease while in the 10th b
“I remember being mflc?’u‘\i:o
the kitchen by my parents, who
had an on-again, off-agai
tumultuous mmhip,fi
explains in her essay entited
“When Love Abounds.”
“This was when [ found out
that my father was HIV pos
tive,” she says. “My mother had
just found out after he had
T L 'y.},,_
@w »" d;'
e 2 »
Brenda S. Brown
[ carried the phone num
ber around all evening. |
was too upset to tell my
brother about the phone
call. | knew that I would
have to give the message to
mamma and [ feared the
outcome.
The guests finally left and
community but around the
community. The Black
Preacher appears to have
forgotten about the pastor’s
traditional political leader
ship, which is an overrid
ing concern for what is
morally correct, just and
fair, rather than what is
expedient, self-serving or in
the budget.
The Reverend Jesse Jack
son has turned a preacher’s
way with words into move
ments, votes and political
power, by not only taking
himself but also other
blacks to as close to a scat
in the grand house of all.
Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., made the struggle his
personal and very own
moral obligation and
turned our religious fervor
and hundreds of thousand
tired, calloused feet into a
Black armada’s march on
DC. Malcolm X - himself
the son of a Black Preacher
— understood the historic
importance of religion in
been diagnosed.” The fear of
what may happen to her moth
er was what motivated her to
become an HIV/AIDS peer
counselor at her school in New
Haven, CT.
“HIV/AIDS knows no lim
its*, it d()es not disaiminatc,“
said the former Miss Black
USA. “We must normalize the
conversation within our fami
lies and personal lives.” What
we are missing, she said, is love.
“Love should overcome. It
should surpass all labels and
finger pointing." lt was l()vc‘
that helped her get past the
anger and disgust she felt for
her father and his selfish way of
potcndally cxposmg her moth
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[ timidly handed the phone
message to mamma; Ygavc
no explanation and quickly
retreated to my room.
Later, | went to sleep and
tried to f()rgt the message.
The next day was Saturcfay
SO l cascd out ()f my room
and quietly turned on the
television.
As | waited, | could hear
my parents talking behind
the c?nscd door of tfi:\cir bed
room. [t must be bad news
[ thought. They were try
ing to decide how to punish
me.
Daddy soon left for work
and [ joined mama in the
kitchen. She prepared our
breakfast as usual and did
the Black Struggle. Even
though Malcolm was a
Muslim warrior rather than
a Christian soldier, this fact
merely places him in anoth
er branch of the Black reli
gious forces. The charis
matic C.S. Hamilton, used
the power of mass political
appeal to organize demon
strations to loose an ava
lanche of social injustice to
help desegregate our school
system right here in Augus
ta. They did all this right
from their own pulpits and
the pulpits of others. They
knew, that we as a people,
could not be submerged in
the sea of self-pity, believ
ing we are owed something
for nothing we've done,
because our ancestors were
brought here as slaves; we
are discriminated against
because of our black skin.
So with all that being said,
why do we still have
preachers, not only nation
wide but even right here in
our community, who will
er to the disease. (Her mother is
fine, having tested negative
since then, and is also a staunch
advocate for HIV/AIDS
rescarch, educaton and pre
venton.) That love helped her
to forgive her father and enjoy
the ime they had left with him.
Her mom, she says in the essay,
was also able to forgive and
took care of him lovingly, as a
friend and caretaker, undl he
passed.
lllustrating the wide range of
opinions and viewpoints on
the subject was very important
to Robertson. In addigon to
Whitfield and Smith, there are
also essays from porn star, Mr.
Marcus as well as author, David
December 7, 2006
not seem upset.
As we ate mamma asked
us about our week at
school. [ couldn’t stand the
tension anymore and finally
blurted out; I'm sorry
mamma. | am sorry that
Miss Elrod called you.
She started laughing, and
laughed for a long time.
I'm sorry she had to call me
too! | have to bake six
dozen C(mkics aftcr church
tOMOrrow.
| still remember that feel
ing of relief. I didn't know
until years later that
mamma had a twinkle in
her eye the rest of the day.
allow themselves to be
taken out of God’s will- to
help his people move up in
society. Is the Black Preach
er spiritually side tracked
by a few dollars, promises
of a church bigger than
someone else’s and a pat on
the head with a “you ain't
like the rest of them” cheer?
Dear brothers and sisters
in the Lord, all I am saying
is that God did not only
call our black preachers to
preach and to create
501c3's but also to get
involved in civil rights and
the physical things of this
world. We understand that
God s the answer to the
social ills that the black
community faces. Howev
cr, the Almighty has strate
gically placed the Black
Preacher in a position to
inject some Pulpit Social
ism into their messages for
the expressed purpose of
bringing a life of peace to
the black church and the
community.
Horton.
“In terms of perspectives, my
goal was to gather voices with
in our community who had
been silent on the subject,”
Robertson said. “It was impor
tant to strike the right balance
with the essays, and also target
very spedfic issues like the
essays that discuss Dating and
HIV." The messages in the
book are tools of motvaton,
although the topic is focused
on HIV/AIDS. “Its subtext
offers pracdcal solutions for
many issues facing Black
Americans,” added Robertson.
9A