How many do we have to sacrifice? How many brothers and sisters must we bury and make quilts for? Where does it end? When do we end the denial, the homophobia, the senselessness? I want to know. I need to know, before I lose anymore friends. Each death diminishes us. Each sorrow is pain stored, and we are running out of places in which to store it. A monster has entered our community and taken up residence. He will not leave. He will not leave. He will not leave ... until he has rendered every man, woman and child defenseless, sickly and alone - waiting for death's last cable car. He moves among us with impunity in the light of day and darkness of despair. He mingles in the crowd, like he is one of us, like a white boy high on Snoop Dogg. But his credentials are bogus; toes tapping slightly off beat, and too intimidated to clap. It is not enough to stand at our own doorways like noble sentries. We must catch him on the street; confront him in the alley way; accost him at the curb, before he enters our neighbor's yard. Before he enters our neighbor's house.  Before he enters  ...our neighbor.

Blacks who make up 28 percent of Georgia's population, accounted for almost three-fourths of the state's newly reported AIDS cases in 1998, state figures show. That's up from 49 percent of the cases in 1990.

The state Department of Human Resources reported that 976 of the 1,325 new AIDS cases last year were in blacks, and AIDS continues to be the leading cause of death for Georgia blacks ages 20 to 44.

"What has always typically been a gay male disease is moving rapidly into the heterosexual population, particularly in the African American or minority communities," said Jim Marks, deputy director of AIDS Atlanta, a support and educational organization.

The Statewide HIV Community Planning Council is focusing its education efforts this year on blacks ages 13 to 29 and blacks who are users of injectable drugs.

An increasing number of new AIDS cases in South Georgia are in blacks ages 13 to 19, said Russell Oglesby, co-chairman of the council and director of the Amethyst Project, an AIDS support group in Statesboro.

While the number of new AIDS cases reported in Georgia has declined since 1996, when it peaked at 2,424, the number of people living with AIDS has continued to increase. The DHR estimates that number at 20,939 as of June 30.

I'm not a doctor, (I don't even play one on TV), but I know there are health issues in the African American community that need to be addressed, thoroughly and frequently.  Name a disease or illness, and chances are it impacts upon blacks to a much greater degree than any other group.  Many African Americans have no family physician, and don't get regular check-ups. There are several theories for our medical apathy. The lack of health insurance, and the expense of medical treatment are two important factors.  But there also remains traces of a historical mistrust of the medical community that has roots dating back to the Tuskegee Experiment, and beyond. Whatever the reasons, we must find a way to move forward and seek the medical treatment and information that we need.

Mr. Kenyada's Neighborhood realizes that the importance of Health Awareness transcends race, but when statistics continually tell us that African Americans are dying from neglect of our health because of diet, stress and ignorance, it is time to put the emphasis where it will do the most good.
Note:  The medical information on this page is solely for educational purposes. Please confer with your doctor if you have questions about the information you read here. [But then, if African Americans were seeing their doctors, this page would not be necessary]

 

 
Essays and Open Wounds while Waiting for the Apology

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