Go on a journey with Anna DeShawn to explore the history, economics, and culture of HIV/AIDS in the Black community. Through interviews and personal stories Anna and her co-host, Duane Cramer, explore the shame, stigma, and solutions.

In this episode, Anna and Duane share their personal connections to the work and the history of HIV/AIDS in the Black community. Subject matter experts Nathan Townsend, Jada Harris, and Dafina Ward deliver insight into the reality of life for individuals afflicted by HIV in the 80s and 90s, the story of Michael Felton, an early unsung hero in the fight for justice, and why we must turn our collective attention toward this epidemic in the South.

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About Our Guests:

Nathan Townsend

Nathan Townsend is the HIV Prevention Programs Manager for The National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities (NAESM). NAESM was formed in 1990 and is one of the first African American community based non-profit organizations to stand on the frontlines in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Atlanta, Georgia.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-townsend30431300/ 

Jada Harris
Jada Harris is currently a Facilitator for Storycorps, Inc. She joined The NAMES Project Foundation/AIDS Memorial Quilt in 2001 when it moved from its San Francisco location to Atlanta, GA.  During her tenure with the Quilt she has held positions as a Display Coordinator, Curator and Director of Programs.  Jada is excited to be a part of the National AIDS Memorial in the role of Program Manager for the Call My Name program to increase the number of quilt panels from the African American community and all marginalized communities.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Film/Video from Savannah College of Art and Design.

IG: www.instagram.com/jadahawk 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jadarenee 

Dafina Ward
Dafina Ward, J.D. is an attorney and non-profit strategist with nearly fifteen years of experience addressing HIV and health equity issues in the southern United States. Working in partnership with a range of advocates—from grassroots leaders to federal decision-makers—she is a trusted voice in regional and national spaces. Dafina currently serves as Executive Director of the Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC), an organization with a regional focus and national reach, with a mission to end the HIV epidemic in the South.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dafina-ward/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dafinamward 

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About Our Hosts:

Anna DeShawn 

Anna DeShawn is a Chicago-born social entrepreneur who builds digital media platforms that center & celebrate BIPOC & QTPOC creatives. She received her bachelor's in radio/television production from Drake University and then went on to receive her master’s in communications from Ithaca College. Anna spent 12 years in the digital media space producing webinars and virtual events for government and corporate clients alike. Media has always been Anna’s passion so she turned her passion into a reality when she founded E3 Radio, LLC. E3 Radio is an online radio station playing queer music & reporting on queer news in high rotation with an intersectional lens. Most recently, she co-founded The Qube, a curated app of music & podcasts by BIPOC & QTPOC creatives. Anna is determined to ride media into its next era by utilizing online radio streams to play the music & tell the stories that deserve to be heard.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/annadeshawn/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annadeshawn 
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@annadeshawn?lang=en 

Duane Cramer

Since being diagnosed with HIV 27 years ago, Duane Cramer has become a tireless advocate for HIV awareness and education, using his photography and creative skills to bring attention to the disease. Duane is an internationally known, award-winning photographer. He is well known for his photography-based HIV awareness visuals, and particularly for his efforts in the African-American community, which has been disproportionately affected by HIV. In addition, his poignant photos of dignitaries, celebrities and everyday-individuals gracefully capture the humanity of his subjects. Duane’s work, which has been favorably compared to the late Gordon Parks and Herb Ritts for his compelling black and white imagery, has been published around the world.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/eyeseeit/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DuaneCramer 
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/duane.l.cramer

Resources:

The Conversation, “Why the South still has such high HIV rates” - https://theconversation.com/why-the-south-still-has-such-high-hiv-rates-76386 
HuffPost, “Black Gay Men Of The AIDS Generation Invented Your Party” - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-gay-men-of-the-aids-generation-invented-your_b_57682a40e4b034ff3eefc889 

Southern AIDS Coalition - https://southernaidscoalition.org/ 
Saving Ourselves Symposium - https://sosexperience.org 
Change the Pattern Initiative, National AIDS Memorial - https://www.aidsmemorial.org/change-the-pattern 
Call My Name Project, National AIDS Memorial - https://www.aidsmemorial.org/call-my-name 
The National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities, Inc. (NAESM, Inc.) -  https://naesminc.org/ 
Ending Criminalization of HIV and Overincarceration in Virginia (ECHO VA) - https://www.facebook.com/ECHOVACoalition/ 
National CFAR Coalition - https://www.med.upenn.edu/n3c/ 
AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Prep for Love - https://www.prep4love.com 

More about the podcast:

Today, HIV doesn't have the same hold it once did due to tireless advocacy, funding, and science. People aren't dying at alarming rates but we still haven't met the goal of zero new infections. It's a preventable disease that doesn't have a cure but it does have solutions. So, why do Black people in the South comprise 38% of the population but 52% of all new HIV infections? How has what reportedly began in California in 1981 found its way to the South in 2022? This is what we will explore in this podcast Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here?

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Credits:

Black HIV in the South: How Did We Get Here? is a production of The Qube. The Qube is a podcast production company and curated platform to discover the best BIPOC & QTPOC podcasts. Begin discovering at https://theqube.app and follow @thequbeapp across social.  

Produced by Latrice Sampson Richards of STS Productions (www.instagram.com/latricesampsonrichards)

Podcast Editing by Xperience J of Shhh! Jus’ Listen Media (www.instagram.com/xperiencejay/) 

Research Contributor - Nicole Holmes, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), Manager of Health Equities 

Podcast Fact Checker - Timothy S. Jackson, Director of Government Relations at AIDS Foundation of Chicago