In observance of World AIDS Day 2024, Center Director Dr. Steve Shoptaw shares a heartfelt message and a poignant poem to honor the lives lost to HIV/AIDS. Dr. Shoptaw also highlights the continued fight for justice and improved health outcomes for those impacted by the HIV epidemic. Read more below.
It’s World AIDS Day and as in the past, I stop to put pen to paper. My mind reels when I remember that before antiretroviral therapies, there was a 72% overall mortality rate for people living with AIDS in Los Angeles County (Los Angeles Times, August 10, 1992). The overall mortality rate for people with COVID-19 never exceeded 2% – even in the early days. This duality is my reality as I listen to people argue, with passion, against treatments for and vaccines against infectious diseases.
My sister-in-law died of COVID-19. My professor died of AIDS. In the passion of the arguments against medications and vaccines that treat and prevent, the flesh and blood persons who have died gets lost. Their names forgotten.
A family member forwarded a poem to me with just one word: “WOW.” I read it all in one mental breath. It was a balm to my spirit and to my brain, renewing my resolve to continue to act. It is a privilege to share this poem with you.
As we observe World AIDS Day on December 1st, we encourage you to reflect on this invoking poem, “We Speak Your Name” by The Black AIDS Institute, written by Clarence R. Williams.
We Speak Your Name
Clarence R. Williams and The Black AIDS Institute
We Speak Your Name
For Those who suffered in the quiet darkness Covered in Shame Not knowing what had possessed their Black Bodies A Cancer? Pneumonia? A Virus? No Name No Treatment No Chance
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who refused the first Drug of Choice AZT Opting for a Homeopathic way And lived in Faith
We Speak Your Name
For The Women at The Well Who held the hands Gave the hugs Served the healing soup And heard the last words
We Speak Your Name
For those Who penetrated the Clubs Bathhouses, Parks, Bars, Balls and Crackhouses
Sharing condoms, prevention information Clean needles and Options
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who Would Not Stand Down Joining allies to disrupt, protest Insisting on resources
for an Invisible Community
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who Made A Way Out Of No Way Rising Up Organizations to Educate, inform Lobby
and Save Black Lives
We Speak Your Name
For Those Public Figures Who lent their Celebrity Railing against the Status Quo Advocating and demanding more from our Government
We Speak Your Name
For The Mothers In the Name of Love Who buried the rejected and abandoned Sons Of some other Mother
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who served the Usher board Choir, Deaconhood Tithing beyond 10% But could Not be Eulogized in their home Church
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who left wounded from Prophetic spaces To build Liberation Ministries of inclusiveness Driven by God’s Love and Affirmation
We Speak Your Name
For the Church Sisters Who proclaimed “There is A Balm in Gilead” Demanding there be a Health Ministry An AIDS Ministry in the church To Dispense strong medicine
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who refused to be Tested Battered by Stigma Living Freely… Reckless… Cloaked in Fear and Denial
We Speak Your Name
For Those Consumed of their Youth Getting tested and Never returning For Treatment
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who Danced about it Sang about it Painted it…Photographed it Filmed it and wrote about HIV-AIDS Without Apology
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who graduated from AZT To 30 pills…to 14 pills…to 4…to 2…to 1 And now an occasional injection Partnering with Prep and Pep And live to talk about it
We Speak Your Name
For Those Who continue to Fight Shining a Light on reality That Black Bodies represent The largest account of new infections In this current Season
We Speak Your Name
For Those With War torn Clothes Tattered with badges of Trauma And unexpressed Grief Walking Boldly towards a new Dawn of Hope Hoping for a Cure A vaccination A World without HIV-AIDS
We Speak Your Name
Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, cousins, Teachers, preachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, Clerks, salesmen, janitors, flight attendants, union leaders, Military officers, counselors, scientists, accountants, Mechanics, designers, engineers, rappers, Actors, singers, publicists, stylists, news anchors … The Countless, Faceless Black Bodies who lost their fight.
We Speak Your Name
We Speak Your Name
We Speak Your Name
(c) BAI Exclusive, Written by Clarence R Williams