NMAC's Honorees from the Congressional Black Caucus
On September 25, 2009 in the Grand Hyatt hotel in downtown Washington, the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) hosted an evening of networking, laughter, music, and celebration. What it did not have was politics. An Evening Without Politics was the benefit reception, hosted by NMAC, which honored select congressional leaders for their outstanding work in the AIDS community. Tables draped in black tablecloth, mini bars and hors d’oeuvre stations dispersed around the room and walls draped with memory quilts was the setting for the upscale fundraiser. NMAC sponsored the reception in conjunction with Members of Congress to raise awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV in the African-American community particularly in D.C. “I think in Washington sometimes things get politicized and nothing gets done. And so we wanted to have an evening that wasn’t about politics but about getting things done,” says Paul Kawata, Executive Director of the National Minority AIDS Council. “In this intense political climate, it is heartening to see elected officials, community leaders and students come together to address HIV/AIDS.”
NMAC chose this evening to honor members of the Congressional Black Caucus such as Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Maxine Waters, Rep. Barabra Lee, Rep. Donna Christensen, Rep. Danny Davis, Rep. Charles Rangel and Rep. Gregory Meeks. NMAC also honored St. Louis native India Clarke. Clarke, a Howard University senior, has completed a pilot AIDS Peer Educator program through NMAC. She served as a peer educator at Howard last school year. Honoree Danny Davis states, “Our focus on developing new leadership around HIV/AIDS is an extension of our overall dedication to health care reform. Through An Evening Without Politics, we hope to educate the public about how supporting even small steps through health care reform, such as routinization of HIV testing and increased support for HIV/AIDS programming, can save innumerable lives.”
NMAC also announced details of their new Historically Black College and University (HBCU) HIV/AIDS Peer Education Initiative, designed to ensure that young people get involved on their campuses and help each other. The announcement was made via video presentation. Dr Bambi Gaddist, Executive Director of the South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council states, “Overall, HBCUs have so much to offer because they are in a position of creating the leaders of tomorrow. But it’s not just about the epidemic. It’s about how they [college students] cope with society and as they move into position of leadership; how ready, willing and able they are to attend to the hard issues that will surround them. “ She also adds, “Educating the youth is not enough. HBCUs first need to examine their policy. They need to look and see if they protect their children. We need to look at their infrastructure to see how they handle sexual assault and rape crisis services. They need to attend to the needs of gay and bi-sexual youth who are on the campuses being beaten and threatened because of their sexual orientation.”
Singer Angie Stone wrapped up the evening with a mini concert. The South Carolina native came in support of her representative James Clyburn (Majority Whip). The proceeds from the reception will support technical assistance for minority community and faith based organizations in the D.C. area. It will also support NMAC's HBCU HIV/AIDS Peer Education Initiative.
For more information on how you can get involved with NMAC visit www.nmac.org.
Get tested. Get care. Get a condom.
Singer Angie Stone lends her vocal talents to warm up the crowd
AIDS Memory Quilt: one of six that decorated the room
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