Tonight, I will be participating in a concert: Embrace Life: A Mosaic. The concert will celebrate that December 1st is World AIDS Day. It has been 10 years since my friend and fellow artist Thomas Warfield has been coordinating this concert. The evening more than 40 artists including dancers, singers, and spoken word , will come together to celebrate the strides that have been made.
AIDS affects about 40 million people in this country. Medical miracles, research, testing, and fund-raising efforts has brought this disease to the forefront of our culture. This isn't a gay man's disease anymore. People are obtaining the disease this day through unprotected heteros*xual activities. And black women are the fastest growing population contracting the disease. There are those who may get it from tainted blood transfusions and dirty needle sharing.
The face of AIDS has changed. It can now be that of a young child, a black woman, a Hispanic teen. Someone who either took a s*xual or drug risk and never thought it would happen to them. But it did. Or someone who contracted the disease unbeknown to them.
It is no longer a death sentence. Myths have now been dubbed that. Our population has become better educated. Though stereotypes still exist.
Tonight, I read a poem that celebrates those innocent victims who wish to come home and die surrounded by loved ones. I have a few friends who have died from this disease and hide their sickness in shame. When I perform tonight, I'll be wearing a butterfly pin that a close coworker/friend gave me before his death. Strides have been made and I wish he were here tonight to see it. I'll really celebrate...when we find a cure.
Posted By: Marsha Jones
Wednesday, December 1st 2010 at 2:12PM
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