Stand By Me- Benefit Performance for Dancers Responding to AIDS
posted by Paul Kawata @ 10:38 PM
Yours In The Struggle
ramblings and other thoughts from Paul Kawata (pkawata@nmac.org)
Monday, July 26
Yours In The Struggle
ramblings and other thoughts from Paul Kawata (pkawata@nmac.org)
About Me
- Name: Paul Kawata
- Location: Washington, D.C., United States
I am the oldest/longest surviving national AIDS executive director. I think its because I am such a bitter old queen that I am still here!!!
Previous Posts
- Me & The President In Newsweek
- Amazing News! Understanding the Results of CAPRIS...
- Act-Up Paris Demo @ IAS
- President Clinton @ IAS: We Need To Be Faster, Be...
- President Clinton @ IAS On His Legacy
- President Clinton @ IAS on Healthcare
- AIDS Activists Interrupt AIDS Ambassadors Session ...
- Once Again, my picture with the President...kinda
- $30 Million To CBOs
- Thank You Mr. President
1 Comments:
Hi,
I am a 55 yr old African American HIV- woman and your words touched me deeply! I started my journey in AIDS work in 1990 doing prevention work with young women in the juvenile system. My passion comes from the blessing I received when I heard the doctor say you do not have HIV anti-bodies after taking my first test. I had a boyfriend whose girlfriend before me died of HIV. Following a bout with pneumonia I decided to get tested. I made a promise to God that if he let me be negative that I would tell the world about my story and serve those affected and infected with HIV/AIDS. Today, I am still in the fight with the same enthusiasm and hope for a cure.
I share your sentiments that people need to be reminded what this fight is all about. I am saddened with the closures of many CBO's many of whom fought the best fight on the ground levels, in the trenches, in the belly of the whale (if you will) and with no one standing in the wings to pick up the fight. It saddens me that this journey to wellness, quality of life and a cure has been overwhelmed and migrated to a fight for funding and who will survive.
What happened to the passion and compassion? Do people have to drop dead like in the beginning of this journey to maintain the passion of the fight?
I am beginning to think that funding is driving many people's and organizations efforts.
I have never forgot the people who died from this disease and what they went through from sickness to stigma, from toxic drugs to opportunistic infections, from no support to organized advocacy, from access issues to changes in drug development and regulations.
We are where we are today because people fought and died and they are still dying today.
Thank you for your words, thank you for remaining true to the cause, and thank you for remembering.
Yours in the Struggle,
Tazima Jenkins Barnes
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