NBJC on National HIV Testing Day
WASHINGTON — Today, June 27, is National HIV Testing Day. In recognition of the day, David Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), released the following statement:
“With recent advancements in technology, healthcare and making space for Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, we are proud to celebrate a day where HIV testing and awareness no longer carries the weight of a death sentence. Testing should be a tool that each of us uses to ensure that our community–the beautifully diverse Black community continues to thrive in the face of white supremacy and anti-Blackness. Let us take full advantage of opportunities like National HIV Testing Day to ensure that we can invest all of our resources into thriving.
“The National Black Justice Coalition will continue to fight for policies and to support practices that make quality and affordable healthcare for our communities accessible. AIDS may have a treatment, but our communities also need access to resources that cannot be developed in a laboratory. Black and Latinx people, LGBTQ/SGL people, and poor people need better access to medical providers who are culturally competent; federal nondiscrimination protections that provide job and housing access and security; and protection from hate crimes and violence–like the six Black women who we know of that have been murdered during this year’s Pride Month alone. On this day, let us get tested so we can take care of ourselves as we commit to the work required to ensure that one day soon we can all get free.”
