PREVENTION IS POWER
By Joshua
Joyce
On February
7, 2008, Tapestry Health partnered with the Martin Luther King Jr. Community
Center in Springfield to co-host the event, “Prevention is Power: An Evening of
Awareness Through Art,” to commemorate National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
(NBHAAD). This free event was held at the Springfield Museum from 6-9pm and was
open to the public and all staff. The event’s purpose was to bring community
members together for a night of entertainment, refreshments and discussion to
highlight the importance of awareness regarding HIV/AIDS in Black
communities.
The event was emceed by News 22’s Jade
Rivera, who was born and raised here in Springfield and finds community
collaboration so important. Special guest speakers included prominent local
community members, including Helen Caulton-Harris, Commissioner of Health and
Human Services for Springfield, Brenda Lopez, Springfield Police Department
Domestic Violence Prevention Coordinator, Denise Stewart, Director of MLK Jr.
Family Life Center, and Leslie Laurie, CEO of Tapestry Health. The event was recognized with a Proclamation
by Springfield Mayor Dominic J. Sarno, and generated participation of local youth
through a poster contest, as well as an hour-long dance showcase, featuring
several local teen dance teams. The
event successfully brought together many local contributors creating a positive
outlet for their arts and talents, while highlighting the importance of
recognizing National Black HIV and AIDS Awareness Day.
NBHAAD began in 2001 with the aim to
recognize the devastation of HIV/AIDS and to promote testing, education and
involvement within Black communities. This year, hundreds of events will take
place throughout the country to help mobilize communities and stakeholders
alike. Though Blacks account for about 13% of the U.S. population, they account
for half of the people living with HIV and AIDS. In Massachusetts, 28% of
individuals living with HIV/AIDS are Black out of a population where Blacks
comprise just 6%of the total. These disparities reflect higher poverty rates,
increased risk behaviors and a society that continues to maintain barriers to
preventive care and treatment. For Black men, the most common mode of
contracting HIV/AIDS is through unprotected sex with a HIV positive man. The
second most common mode is sharing drug injection needles with an HIV positive
individual. Through the innovative Among Men/For Men and Needle Exchange
programs, Tapestry Health is using evidence-based harm reduction and peer
support models to actively combat these harmful trends in the health of local
Black communities.
For more information on testing HIV/AIDS education and services or how you can get your community involved, please call 413-747-5144 or go online to www.tapestryhealth.org n