NBJC Mourns the Loss of Black LGBTQ+ Leader A. Cornelius Baker, Public Health Advocate on HIV/AIDS
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON – After the sudden passing of public health and LGBTQ+/SGL rights advocate Antonio Cornelius Baker, Dr. David J. Johns, CEO and Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), a leading civil rights organization, issued the following statement:
“It is with deep sadness and profound grief that we share the news that A. Cornelius Baker, a pillar in the Black LGBTQ+/same-gender loving and HIV/AIDS communities, has become an ancestor.
“We are grateful for his legacy and leadership as an advocate, activist, political appointee, government leader, and mentor, which resulted in robust increases in funding for HIV research, Ryan White Reauthorization, and PEPFAR implementation and reauthorization. He was a long-time supporter of NBJC, joining our OUT on the Hill programming meeting with federal officials and community members and discussing the perils of HIV stigma at our public education events, such as the Black Institute. He marched and testified before the DC city council and members of Congress.
“We were honored to include A. Cornelius Baker in our inaugural class of James Baldwin Legacy Award honorees in 2021. We will continue to honor his legacy with our actions to eradicate the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America and across the global community.
“I was most recently with Cornelius at the White House Rising Leaders Summit for HIV in August. I was able to thank him for laying the foundation upon which I and many other leaders continue to build to ensure that every member of our beautifully diverse community has access to the resources they need to thrive–including the leadership, love, and support that Cornelius provided. His legacy will endure and I am honored to be one of his torchbearers.”