Black people are the most affected by HIV. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately one in 16 black men and one in 32 black women will be diagnosed with HIV at some point in their lives. Factors such as poverty, incarceration and inadequate access to medical care have contributed to this disease’s preponderance. Stigma, fear, ignorance and shame have done just as much to influence the disease’s hold over the demographic, according to the NAACP.
Hoping to reverse this trend, the association sought input from clerics in particularly hard-hit urban areas to devise an instructional program called “The Black Church and HIV: the Social Justice Imperative.” The program is a series of tools to help the clergy to support those who are sick and to work with their congregations to prevent the spread of HIV.
“This is a public health emergency, particularly for Boston’s black community and, with our support, our faith leaders will get a proven roadmap to the right HIV prevention tools and resources — that will ultimately save lives,” Boston NAACP President Michael Curry stated in a press release announcing a training session in Boston for the Social Justice Imperative.
This training will take place on May 31, and is open to select clergy by invitation from the NAACP.
