Wednesday, February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day when we acknowledge and renew our commitment to fight the disproportionate impact of HIV on the Black community in the U.S.  Despite persistent health inequities, we’d like to focus on the incredible strength and resilience of the Black community in the face of HIV, and highlight their stories of triumph, unity, and hope.

We celebrate people like Magic Johnson and Rae Lewis-Thornton, whose empowering testimonies, activism, and advocacy have inspired, educated, and raised awareness not only in the Black community but also nationwide.

Today we also want to celebrate our local heroes, wonderful individuals who have overcome stigma, discrimination, and adversity; have empowered themselves, taken control of their lives, and are beacons of hope and inspiration to us all. We are celebrating both those living with HIV, and HIV-negative individuals proactively using tools such as PrEP. Self-care is a heroic and powerful act, whether is it taking medication to be become and remain undetectable or to stay HIV negative. Each group, in their own unique way, plays a vital role in our collective effort to end the HIV epidemic and promote health and wellness for all.

These are our neighbors, friends, family members, and coworkers. We are fortunate to have some of these extraordinary local heroes at Amida Care, including Amida Care members Shauna Brooks, Jeffrey Feliz-Ybes and Anthony Randolph.

Let’s celebrate them and thank them for their contributions to Amida Care and NYC. Their lived experiences and wisdom inspire us to continue the fight and work diligently to end the HIV epidemic.