Did you know that there's a World AIDS Day every year? Of course you did. You knew that it's held on December 1st each year. You knew that it's also to support those with HIV and honor those who have lost their battle with the virus. And that it helps raise awareness of the disease. But did you know that there are other days set aside in the US for certain populations to help bring them into the spotlight?

In 2008, the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) launched National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day to recognize the disproportionate impact of the epidemic on gay men while motivating individuals to get tested and attain services.

J. Robby Gregg, Jr., has been named Chief Operating Officer of the  National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC). Headquartered in Washington, DC, NBJC is the leading civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people,and ending racism and homophobia. Gregg is the former Associate Director of Equality and Diversity Partnerships with Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays (PFLAG) National.

Gregg is a nationally recognized diversity expert known for his ability to build and sustain impactful business relationships with relevant stakeholders at all levels. He has a core expertise in designing and executing multi-platform diversity strategies in the areas of organizational management, human resources, communication, marketing, and corporate responsibility.

In a moving guest blog post, NBJC Emerging Leader Isaiah Wilson shares his experience of getting tested for HIV, and how it has changed his life for the better.

An Open Letter: You Will Be Better For Knowing Your Truth

2013 started as one of the most unclear years of my life. I found myself unemployed, living at home with my parents, and quite unfulfilled with the grind of my twenties. As someone who prides himself on always having a plan and meeting pragmatic goals, I, for the first time in my adult life, felt a sense of hopelessness in my mind and spirit.

The National Black Justice Coalition is pleased to announce that it has selected Derrick L. McMahon Jr. as its newest Senior Fellow. As a Senior Fellow, he will bring a wealth of cutting-edge communication and organizing skills in support of NBJC’s key programming and policy initiatives.

“I am delighted to welcome Derrick aboard as the newest addition to our team,” says Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition. “His maverick brand of social media activism has accumulated a following of over 10,000 people and garnered praise for holding public figures accountable for harmful speech against the LGBT community. Through his communications savvy and social justice consciousness, Derrick has maximized the potential that social media activism and engagement offers to the Black LGBT movement.”