“We have a stake in one another… what binds us together is GREATER THAN what drives us apart… if enough people believe in the truth of that proposition and act on it, then we might not solve every problem, but we can get something meaningful done…”
Sen. Barack Obama, December 1, 2006 (World AIDS Day)
Testing is important because “every nine and a half minutes another person in the United States becomes infected with HIV,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In time for the national testing and awareness day, a new campaign debuts- Greater Than AIDS. It is designed to mobilize African Americans and promote calls-to-action to prevent and reduce the further spread of HIV. It’s a campaign of the Black AIDS Media Partnership; among the organizing partners is the Kaiser Family Foundation. The Black AIDS Institute is also providing strategic leadership, guidance, and technical assistance to the Black AIDS Media Partnership.
“The central idea behind the campaign is to remind us as Black Americans that we are greater than any challenge we have ever faced, and that we are Greater Than AIDS as well,” said Phill Wilson, Black AIDS Institute founder and CEO. “It is about a shared responsibility in the face of AIDS – and hope for the possibility of an HIV-free future.”
Greater Than AIDS is organized in collaboration with Act Against AIDS, a five-year communication campaign.
“Inspired by a line in a speech by President Obama on World AIDS Day in 2006, the central idea behind the Greater Than AIDS message, which is presented as an ‘internal dialogue’ within the Black community, seeks to inspire hope and promote the possibility of change in the AIDS epidemic facing Black America through the united actions of individuals, families and communities,” according to a Kaiser Family Foundation press release. “Greater Than AIDS stresses six specific actions in response to the epidemic: being informed; using condoms; getting tested — and treated, as needed; speaking openly; acting with respect; and getting involved.”
To find an HIV testing site, visit HIVtest.org or text your ZIP code to KNOWIT (566948).
