Kirk Myers
Abounding Prosperity Inc. is partnering with Dallas Hope Charities, Dallas County Health & Human Services, The Concilio and Parkland Health Systems and ViiV to host a community block party in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The event takes place 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the HOPE Health Center, 1705 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The block party will feature cultural performers, educational speakers, health and fitness experts, food trucks and raffle prizes. The event is free and open to the public.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2019, Black people accounted for 13 percent of the U.S. population but 40 percent of people with HIV. The rate of new HIV diagnoses among Black people is eight times that of whites and twice that of Latinos.
The Strategic Leadership Council designated Feb. 7 as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day to acknowledge how HIV disproportionately affects Black people and to increase HIV education, testing, community involvement and treatment among Black communities. The block party will highlight the people of the community, display the similarities in various cultures through spoken word and entertainment, while also focusing on the importance of testing for HIV and STIs.
“Though research shows that new HIV infections declined slightly between 2020 and 2021, disparities remain severe among Black people who account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnosis and people with HIV compared to other races and ethnicities,” said Kirk Myers-Hill, founder and CEO of Abounding Prosperity Inc. “Racism, stigma, homophobia, lack of access to health care, poverty, etc. are among the challenges sustaining this epidemic in the Black community. We, along with our partners, are honoring NBHAAD by equipping the community with resources to help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.”
— from staff reports
