Do #BlackLivesMatter? It's hard to tell if they matter to those who control the systems that prevent Black people across the country from accessing health care, sustainable employment, education, housing—even Oscar nominations.
Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, marked National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. We have lustrous examples of progress toward ending new HIV infections in all communities, including Black communities, such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis ( or PrEP ), a once-a-day HIV prevention pill that is nearly 100 percent effective when taken consistently at preventing HIV infection. And for the first time in decades, Chicago reported fewer than 1,000 new HIV cases last year. However, I caution us: We shine brightest when we are most vulnerable. There are seeds of failure in this data, in that it doesn't lay bare the disproportional impact HIV is having on the Black community—and in particular, Black young gay and bisexual men.
But there are still approximately 1,800 new HIV infections in our state each year.
Fifty percent of those infections are in the Black community, and HIV rates are highest among young gay and bisexual Black men.
If the HIV rate doesn't change, 1 in 16 of my Black brothers and 1 in 32 of my Black sisters will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetimes. A recent report highlights that a young Black gay man becoming sexually active today at the age of 18 has about a 60 percent chance of being HIV-positive by the age of 40. In addition, a recent study suggests that 66.7 percent of Blacks between the ages of 18 and 65 years old have never been tested for HIV.
What does all this tell us? Do Black lives matter? If these numbers were rampant in other communities, would our public health infrastructure and elected officials not declare a state of emergency?
And let me be abundantly clear: Infection rates in the Black community are not associated with risky behavior. Nearly every study demonstrates how Blacks utilize condoms at the same, if not higher, rates than their white counterparts. These numbers ( and lives ) are rooted in racism.
Say the word "racism" and people imagine someone in a white hood, terrorizing Black folks. However, in reality, ordinary people, systems and institutions perpetuate racism daily—often unaware and benign to the toxic effects of systemic racial bias.
Are we doing enough to prioritize Black lives? We are the face of this epidemic because of the systems that keep us out of reach of access to healthcare ( especially in Illinois, where Gov. Bruce Rauner has dismantled so many support systems that thousands of people—Black, brown, and otherwise—relied on to stay housed, fed and healthy ).
The good news is that, for many of us—including you—if you're reading this article, Black lives do matter.
On Feb. 17, 2016, Gov. Rauner will unveil his FY17 state budget. If past behavior is an indication of future behavior, he will propose devastating cuts to the very programs and services Black communities need to turn the tide in HIV infections.
I believe that the Illinois state budget is a profoundly moral document. If you find these cuts just as horrific as I do, I ask you to lend your voice to the choirs of those rallying against injustice and call upon the governor and elected officials to repudiate these cuts and Pass a Positive Budget. It can't be only those affected by these cuts calling for change. Because change happens when those not impacted make themselves uncomfortable, so others can be comfortable.
See www.aidschicago.org/page/our-work/advocacy/pass-a-positive-budget .
Ramon Gardenhire currently serves as the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). In this position, he is responsible for setting strategic direction for AFC,'s policy and advocacy development and implementation and engagement at the city, state, and national levels. In addition, he oversees engagement of community partners as related to policy. His areas of focus have included the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and ensuring that new federal and state healthcare systems meet the healthcare needs of people with HIV, Medicaid policy, federal and state budget and appropriations, and the Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). At the state level, one of his proudest accomplishments is leading a coalition that successfully expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income adults without children under the Affordable Care Act. The expansion makes approximately half a million Illinoisans newly eligible for healthcare coverage. He was also a leader in a coalition that helped enact comprehensive sexual health education for Illinois students.
