One year ago, in the aftermath of the Orlando tragedy, we came together in grief, in unity, and in solidarity with the Orlando community and millions of people everywhere, to condemn this act of hate violence and affirm that love conquers hate. That senseless act struck at the heart of the LGBTQ and Latinx communities, families, and close friends, and at the core of one of our nation’s greatest strengths: our diversity. The ensuing backlash against the American Muslim community led to hate speech and violence, shootings, and mosque vandalism that claimed even more victims.

WASHINGTON, DC – In a comprehensive public policy letter sent to the Trump Administration and Congress, a broad coalition of 44 civil rights and health advocacy organizations urged the federal government to center the lives of African Americans in the nation’s fight to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The letter was born out of the Summit on Black Lives: Black America’s Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, which is a yearlong endeavor led by the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) to ultimately produce a robust action plan to address and provide solutions to the current state of the epidemic and its impact on Black lives.