Every year, February is dedicated to African American history but this year I want to use the opportunity to address a modern equality issue that African Americans must fight for: equal access to HIV services.
As an African, born in Rwanda and now resident in the United States of America, and as a young woman openly living with HIV, I believe I am in a good position to talk about this issue.
As I contemplate the lives of my future children in this society, it makes me feel bad to realise there are a range of issues that are impacting African American communities far more than other Americana, including HIV infection rates, teen pregnancies, drug use, as well as crime and imprisonment.
It makes us uncomfortable to talk about these issues we are facing but we should remember that recognizing it, is the first step towards change.
Opportunities for African Americans
According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), HIV infections among black people are eight times higher than among white people in the United States.
When opportunities are not distributed equally – such as equal access to HIV services, it’s a sign that there is need to continue fighting for African Americans’ civil rights.
Even if it may make us uncomfortable, we need to talk about the inequalities in opportunities distributed among races, we need to continue to raise awareness among policy makers of the need to put in place laws to boost the health, social and economic status of African Americans.
We need to break the barriers to accessing health care, such as poverty, transport and education.
Self-made slavery
But I also think this quote from Harriet Tubman still has relevance today: “I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”
Let us raise awareness among African American communities that if we acknowledge that we are not doing well to educate young people, to promote safe and secure communities, we are staying in self-made slavery and keeping ourselves in poverty. And just one of the many negatives outcomes of this is the increasing numbers of HIV infections.
We need to address the roots of the problems not simply treat the symptoms. We need to fight harder for equal opportunities in all areas of life.
Because it’s not as simple as saying we need to improve access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care programmes. To do this we also need to address issues of poverty, education and discrimination in the job market.
A healthier future
This month is an opportunity to talk about the legacy of people like Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks and Malcom X, who promoted African American civil rights.
But let’s not forget the civil rights issues of today.
While celebrating the legacy of the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society, let us aspire and plan for a more equal society.
And one sign of that will be when the colour of a person’s skin will no longer indicate the likelihood of them contracting HIV.
Read about adolescents - an invisible generation in the HIV response
