By Ciara Walker
Staff Writer
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2014 was National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I had no idea.
Disappointed about my failure to keep up with Black History Month happenings, I decided to be proactive and attend an event sponsored by CHASE North County, San Diego (Curbing HIV/AIDS and Substance abuse in Ethnic young adults) in partnership with the Vista Community Clinic, Palomar College, MiraCosta College and CSUSM.
Nestor Venegas, head of CHASE, has been an activist for a while and the Black Lives Matter Movement is especially important to him. He and his team wanted to raise awareness as well as address some of the race relations concerning black America through spoken word. Prior to the performances, Nestor coordinated three different testing sites in the TriCity area where students received free testing. Combined, it drew approximately 150 people who were not ashamed to find out their status – which is the first step in prevention.
The room was rather chilly, but the topic at hand is also cold. Although this event focused on minorities, the disease does not discriminate. There were only 17 attendees, inclusive of the organizers and speakers, yet it was still a profound show. It definitely awakened the poet and advocate within.
Nick Sabree recited “Who Am I,” which was a conversation that challenged society to view black men through a more positive lens. Khalid AbuDawas spoke emotionally about being labeled whitewashed. Isaac aka Astroboy rapped about love, specifically interracial relationships. Josh Copeland, fellow Cougar, was also a featured artist that has been performing for a year. His message for students is “to be more responsible. Make sure that the person you intermingle with is worth it. You never know when it can be your last. If we are gonna fight this disease, we must fight it together.” There were a few more poets and professors who took the stage in what eventually turned into open mic.
The poor turnout is alarming considering out of all the lives HIV/AIDS claim each year, African Americans comprise half of the total. There are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States (including 14 percent who are unaware they have it). Over half of that number is made up of Blacks, although they only make up 12 percent of the population. This is the reason awareness is so important—this health crisis blacks face is completely preventable. Safe sex or no sex!
Even if you take all necessary precautions and you are in a committed, monogamous relationship, regular testing is still recommended. Until one of our awesome Cougar scientists discover or develop a cure, unfortunately I don’t see HIV or AIDS going away anytime soon.
Just because it’s here, it does not mean you have to live with it. Don’t put yourself or your loved ones at risk. For more information, or to get tested, contact Health Services at (760) 750-4915 or the Vista Community Clinic at (760) 407-1220 for confidential counseling.