Prevention Justice Message Mobilizes AIDS Movement

To remove the stigma of HIV infection, many early AIDS activists said that HIV/AIDS was a disease just like any other. But HIV is also about conditions in society that cause some communities to be more vulnerable to HIV infection, despite similar risk factors. So the Prevention Justice Mobilization (PJM) is uniting the AIDS movement around a new message: HIV is more than just a disease - It's proof positive of injustice!

Armed with this message, endorsed by over 350 organizations and individuals and supported by 28 affiliated events around the country, the Prevention Justice Mobilization rolled into Atlanta, GA in early December to shake up the scene at the 2007 National HIV Prevention Conference (NHPC).

Our goal? To unite and mobilize individuals and organizations for HIV prevention justice.

Our tactics? A day-long research advocacy training, conference workshops and plenaries, a major march and rally in downtown Atlanta, and a community blog to capture it all.

The outcome? Success! Through our combined efforts, the PJM was the buzz of the conference.

Prior to the conference's opening, the PJM sponsored a day-long training on research advocacy for over 70 people.

During several conference panels and plenaries, the PJM was also pitched to the hundreds (if not thousands) of attendees. Bob Fullilove, Walt Senterfitt, and David Holtgrave all talked about CHAMP's work during their presentations at NHPC.

Thanks to PJM advocacy efforts, we were able to celebrate the opening of the NHPC's NGO Village to the Atlanta community. It has historically been closed to people not registered for the conference itself. The opening of the NGO Village allowed community-based and non-governmental organizations to set up outreach tables and interact with their peers and colleagues.

While the NHPC was drawing to a close on Tuesday, December 4th, the PJM was just getting things started. Inside the conference halls, carolers sang an HIV prevention song to the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas" to inspire conference participants for the evening's Unity for HIV Prevention Justice March & Rally. Supporting the call to march was Miss Rhode Island 2007 Ashley Bickford, who handed out white and red PJM sashes to individuals heading to the rally.

Decked in their sashes, more than three hundred people from across different communities took to the Atlanta streets with whistles, signs, banners, and flashlights to shine a light on the HIV prevention gaps in this country. March emcee Waheedah Shabazz-El hyped the crowd to a frenzy, leading the chant, "HIV is more than just a disease - It's positive proof of injustice!"

Following Waheedah, CHAMP's Executive Director Julie Davids spoke about the organization's role in developing the PJM, and the need for the mobilization. SisterLove founder and Atlanta resident Dázon Dixon Diallo, David Munar of AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and Dr. David Holtgrave of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins followed with more examples of prevention justice. During the rally, participants assembled large puzzle pieces to construct a comprehensive HIV prevention plan - something the CDC continues to struggle with and seems incapable of developing or unwilling to do so.

With the opening speeches completed and spirits high, the group launched itself into downtown Atlanta. Chanting and marching to the rhythms of the Atlanta Seditious Orchestra's marching band, the crowd, was met with honking horns and applause from passer-bys.

After reaching the second rally point, Waheedah again guided the group through chants. The crowd reassembled the HIV prevention plan puzzle by illuminating each piece with their flashlights.

Perhaps the highlight of the event was the performance of CHAMP's feisty HIV Prevention Justice Carol! Over 300 people joined together in singing:

"In the AIDS epidemic, the gov'ment gave to me - NO NATIONAL PLAN, anti-gay bias, a decade of flat funding, a fast track to prison, no decent housing, roadblocks to treatment, silver virginity rings, censorship of science, discrimination, misinformation and a country full of H.I.V."

Our rally was closed out by several powerful, dynamic, and inspiring speakers, including Jeff Graham of the Georgia Prevention Justice Alliance, Craig Washington of Positive Impact, Cheryl Courtney-Evans of TILT/Aniz, Inc., Greg Bautista of AIDGwinnett, Waheedah Shabazz-El and poet Cynthia Washington of AIDS Services Austin.

Although the Unity Rally and March topped off the successful PJM, CHAMP was ahead of the game with the media. The Washington Blade broke the story in early November that the CDC incidence estimates for 2006 would likely be far higher than previously reported. Once the story was out, all other news organization followed suit. Due to some handy press work by Julie Davids and Communications Coordinator Kenyon Farrow, Davids and CHAMP Board Chair Walt Senterfitt were interviewed for articles published by the Associate Press, Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Southern Voice, and Gay City News to name a few. The PJM and CHAMP received attention all over the nation with mentions in at least thirteen print stories, three radio shows, and four television newscasts.

To read more about the PJM and see all the work of the mobilization, visit www.preventionjustice.org.

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