JABJ to kick off series of HIV symposiums
By Alice Thomas-Tisdale
JA Publisher Emerita
Local chapters of NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) have been identified by Varner PR Agency of Oakland, CA to sound the alarm on the rise in new HIV infections throughout the southern United States. In response to the clarion call, NABJ chapters are spearheading HIV symposiums to address the urgency.
In Mississippi, the charge is being met by JABJ (Jackson Association of Black Journalists), an affiliate of NABJ. HIV Then and Now: The Power of Innovation symposium will be held Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Tougaloo College in the George A. and Ruth B. Health and Wellness Center, 500 W. County Line Rd., Tougaloo, MS. Things get underway at 8:30 a.m.
We are bringing together journalists, state health leaders, and experts in the HIV field to address the South having the highest HIV rates,” said organizer Sandra Varner, CEO, Varner PR Agency and a longtime HIV advocate. “The symposium will explore the journey of HIV from its early days to the present, and the groundbreaking innovations that have shaped the fight against HIV over the years.”
Obviously, HIV/AIDS isn’t the death sentence it once was during the height of the epidemic in the mid-1980s, but we must remember there is still no cure for this virus, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that there were more than 31,000 new HIV infections in 2022. More than 700,000 people have died from this virus since the 1980s, said Jackson Association of Black Journalists President Jimmie E. Gates.
“We might have thought HIV was a thing of the past, but unfortunately, we are seeing an uptick in the rate of new infections in the South,” Gates said. “This symposium, HIV Then and Now: The Power of Innovation, will bring awareness to the problem and what we can do to stem the tide. We can’t afford to go backward in the fight against HIV.”
On tap to provide insight on HIV statistics, prevention, and intervention will be Cedric Sturdevant; Regina Wilcox-Lewis, LCSW; Dr. Rita Momah, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, CPH, FACMPE, FACHE; Dr. Rocky Rajinder Khanna, MD; Dr. Sandra Carr Melvin, DrPH, MPH; Deja Abdul-Haqq, community activist; Dr. June Gipson, PhD, EdS; Juanita Davis, health advocate; and Othor Cain, moderator.
Tiara Jackson, a mass communication major, will welcome attendees to Tougaloo College; author Seora Casper Abdul-Haqq will discuss the importance of self-love.
A working luncheon will showcase the mini film “Blue Eye Shadow”, directed by Eddrick Jerome, followed by a Q&A and next steps by Varner and representatives from Gilead, official sponsor of the southern HIV symposiums.
Joining JABJ as partners are Mississippi State Department of Health, WMPR, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Jackson Advocate. Special thanks to Tougaloo College for hosting the symposium. Online registration is still available (https://qrco.de/bfSuVp).
Next up is Dallas, TX Nov. 16, 2024; three other symposiums are slated for 2025 – Birmingham, AL; Baton Rouge/New Orleans, LA; and Raleigh-Durham, NC.
