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 discuss finding solutions to ending HIV/AIDS in the Black community. We hear from experts Dafina Ward, Jada Harris, Nathan Townsend, Deirdre Speaks,  and Jimmy Gibbs about what is being done to move the needle and the media's role in the fight. They also offer a call to action, outlining the collective next steps.

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About Our Guests:

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 

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 

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/ 

Deirdre Speaks

Since 2000, Deirdre has lived, learned, and experienced HIV on her own terms. She utilizes her sense of humor and a lively personality to openly share her medicine and medical adherence journey with the world using #MedsWillMakeMeDance. Deirdre is transparent about how she is not allowing HIV to have control of her, but fearlessly taking control of HIV. Deirdre is a native of Virginia and has worked as an educator, case manager, and speaker, however, she is most passionate about eradicating stigma, ending the criminalization of people living with HIV, combating racial injustice, health disparities, and being an active Partner in Change as the co-founder of Ending Criminalization of HIV and Over-incarceration in Virginia (ECHO VA). 

Website: https://deirdrespeaks.com/ 

Jimmy Gibbs

Rev. Jimmy Gibbs began his work in the field of HIV/AIDS in 1983 as a caregiver for his best friend in the beginning of the epidemic. He is an HIV/ AIDS community advocate working to secure housing and supportive services serving on the UNC CFAR CAB board and the National CFAR CAB Coalition serving as Chair of the Executive Committee. He is a member of Good Shepherd United Church of Christ in Cary, NC. 

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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:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “HIV and African American People: PrEP Coverage” - https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/racialethnic/africanamericans/prep-coverage.html 
Lambda Legal, “When It Comes To Stigma, How Do Black People Living With HIV Thrive?” - https://www.lambdalegal.org/blog/20220217_when-it-comes-to-stigma-how-do-black-people-living-with-hiv-thrive 
Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers, “Black HIV/AIDS Awareness day - https://fight.org/black-hiv-aids-awareness-day/ 

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 CAB 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