June marked the 40th anniversary of the first reported U.S. cases of what would later be recognized as HIV/AIDS. This year also marks 27 years for the AIDS Funding Collaborative in Greater Cleveland. We are a public/private funding partnership designed to strengthen the community’s response to HIV/AIDS.
June marked the 40th anniversary of the first reported U.S. cases of what would later be recognized as HIV/AIDS.
The AIDS Funding Collaborative is marking this occasion with a ray of hope as we mark 40 years of the AIDS pandemic.
On November 30th at noon, we invite you to participate in a virtual World AIDS Day forum at the City Club of Cleveland called The Ripple that Became a Tidal Wave: HIV/AIDS Activism and the Transformational Power of Safety Nets presented by Dr. Celeste Watkins-Hayes in conversation with Marlene Harris-Taylor of Ideastream.
Through this talk about the remarkable conversion of HIV/AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable chronic illness over the last forty years, Watkins-Hayes and Harris-Taylor will discuss the importance of the transformative leadership that led the way to address this seemingly insurmountable problem. They will share insights into the value of constructive conflict among diverse groups, building leadership in unexpected places, and the willingness to talk about difficult issues exhibited by the HIV/AIDS community, including topics of gender, sexuality, drug use, and racial equity.
They will share how this public health threat can be seen through the lens of inequality as holding useful lessons that can apply to many of our challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is a critical moment in the history of the HIV response.
This is a critical moment in the history of the HIV response. We can end the HIV epidemic in Greater Cleveland and have a plan to do it.
The current HIV effort in our region is strong and aims to be stronger by mobilizing resources and investing in people. As Watkins-Hayes will show, the HIV/AIDS safety net can be used as a model for confronting rising inequality on many fronts. The HIV movement offers a hopeful reminder of the power of ordinary citizens to transform their lives and change the world.
