AIDS: D.C.'s Silent Stalker of Women

By Courtland Milloy
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; B01

Washington Post

Can we talk frankly about HIV/AIDS and black women?

No? I didn't think so.

After all, who cares to tell sassy little Keisha that if she doesn't stop mistaking sex for love, her next mistake could be her last. Of course, that wouldn't be "age appropriate," now, would it?

What about the Widow Jones? Since her husband passed, she has been dating again. Will somebody please tell her that her new dude is on the down low -- surreptitiously having sex with men -- then bringing it to bed with her?

Can't do that, either. Why meddle in her business? After all, AIDS is only the fourth-leading cause of death for black women ages 45 to 54. Let the good sister have her fun -- while it lasts.

You might have noticed that I'm focusing on women and AIDS. Speaking frankly, that's because it's up to women to save their own lives. When it comes to sexually transmitted diseases, too many men are not trying to protect you. Most of the time, they are just trying to have sex.

Quite frankly, you would have thought more women would have caught on by now.

In the District, the number of women living with AIDS increased by more than 76 percent in six years -- nine out of 10 of them black women. The primary modes of transmission: heterosexual men who turned out to be IV drug users, ex-convicts who'd been having sex with men in prison, bisexual men posing as heterosexuals and outright dogs who make a sport of sexual conquest.

Here's another reason I'm talking to women: The District accounts for 9 percent of all pediatric AIDS cases in the United States. Blame the man all you want, but it's the mother and child who suffer most.

Despite two decades of advancement in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, "we're still struggling with how to teach people not to get infected," Don Blanchon, chief executive of the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, said Monday at a candlelight vigil marking the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day.

But how can we teach if we can't talk frankly?

There's certainly no shortage of public service announcements aimed at reducing infection rates among African Americans. But most consist of preachy platitudes, politically correct and "culturally sensitive" pablum: "Stay healthy." "AIDS is preventable."

The results should not be surprising.

"People know how to espouse what they heard, but for some reason it does not stick with them," Barbara Chinn, director of Whitman Walker Clinic's Max Robinson Center in Southeast Washington, told me recently. "They still look at prospective sex partners and say, 'They don't look infected.' "

Failure to tell it like it is -- that's what's really killing us.

"When assessing the HIV risk factors associated with African Americans, one particularly difficult area of debate is that of sexual behavior," said a recent report by Avert, an international AIDS charity. "For example, could the epidemic among African Americans be because, on average, they have more sex partners than Caucasians? Or because they have different, more risky, types of sex? Such questions may seem obvious, but trying to establish answers can be hard, especially when there is a danger that they could be interpreted as racist, or used in racist propaganda."

So let's just forget about the 2005 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that black teenagers were more likely to have had four or more sex partners than whites and Hispanics by the time they graduated from high school (or should have graduated), and that African American girls were more likely to have had partners who were significantly older than them. African Americans are also more likely to have concurrent partners -- that is, more than one partner at a time, which can make HIV transmission more likely to be passed on to more than one person, the study found.

If ever there was a case for unvarnished sex education in public schools, the ongoing AIDS epidemic in black America ought to be it. Instead of education, what we get more often than not is homophobic nonsense from the pulpits of our black churches.

The District has the highest rate of new reports of AIDS in the country, and the highest mortality rates to go along with it. But the horror of it all barely seeps into our collective conscience.

"While Africa is the global epicenter of HIV/AIDS infection," Chinn told me, "the District is the epicenter in this country, with infection rates in some neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River rivaling those in sub-Saharan Africa."

During a World AIDS Day interview with ABC News, President Bush called his international program to combat AIDS "one of the most important initiatives of my administration" and praised it as a success. More than 2 million people worldwide have received life-saving antiretroviral treatments since the initiative began in 2003, he said.

He made no mention of the AIDS epidemic raging in his own back yard.

Once again, mum's the word. Perhaps in the absence of frank talk, we could at least help young girls such as Keisha by getting them to serve a few weeks at an AIDS hospice. Careless sex would likely lose its sheen once they realize that their lovers could be the Grim Reaper in disguise.

What About Solutions? The Socio-historical Development of Adolescent African American Women’s Sexual Scripts

How African American Girls/Women become freaks, gold-diggers,

November 24th, 2008 — Contributor Post

We know what the problems are. What About Solutions? WAOD is starting a series to focus on people or groups who are doing their part to fight the War on Black women. Our first What About Solutions Contributor is Njeri Santana, the founder and owner of Urban Playdates. Urban Playdats is a FREE social-networking site connecting parents & caregivers that are raising or involved in raising children of color www.urbanplaydates.com

By Njeri Santana:

Have you checked out the avatars on some of these black gossip sites? Is it me or doesn’t it seem like some of these women are posting pics from their soft porn portfolio? Sad part is that these soft porn pics are more prevalent on teen myspace pages. Why?

Looks like Dionne P. Stephens has the answer. I came across Dr. Stephens’ paper Freaks, Gold Diggers, Divas and Dykes: The Socio-historical Development of Adolescent African American Women’s Sexual Scripts. After reading her paper I had what Oprah likes to say was my “aha” moment.

Dr. Stephens’ “examines socio- historical factors shaping minority populations’ sexual health processes, with emphasis on gender and ethnic/ racial identity development. Her most recent research examines the constructions of sexual scripts and their influence on sexual risk outcomes across ethnic groups.”

What is a sexual script? Sexual scripts are culturally defined as a set of guidelines prescribing appropriate forms of sexual behavior and ways of managing sexual encounters. Think of it as the blueprint or roadmap that outlines visual descriptions or actions of characters and their dialogue.

Dr. Stephens not only breaks down the history of the sexual scripts that African American teens are bombarded with. She provides extensive examples of these scripts as well as how men view women within each script.

Let’s take a look at one…. the Gold Digger.

According to Stephens the Gold Digger trades social status for sex describes the Diva, it is the Gold Digger who trades sex for a harder currency. A Gold Digger is a woman who explicitly seeks material and economic rewards above all else, and is willing to trade sex for it. Sex is her commodity because it is the only valuable thing she has in society. …Gold Diggers seem to have the most obvious awareness that sex is their most powerful commodity. Sex may be used to barter for basic needs such as a bag of groceries, getting rent paid, or making sure their lights do not get turned off. However, manicures and pedicures, new clothing, vacations, or having a car note paid are also possible wants that Gold Diggers may be willing to trade sex to get…..the sexual links to poverty and its relevance to survival are clear. Their lives have been called “ghetto fabulous,” where they are socially embedded in a culture of poverty, yet have the economic means to procure middle-class goods. The song “Project Chick” (2001) by male rappers Big Tymers discusses how their financial means can entice a Gold Digger to give up and put out”

How often have you seen a teen looking like a video vixen on the street and said to yourself “what is going on in that child’s mind”? After reading Dr. Stephens paper you will have a clear idea and that’s what makes this paper sooo powerful.

Dr. Stephens’ is truly a warrior in the fight against the media’s distorted perceptions of African American women. She’s fighting the war by “identifying developmental factors promoting resilience and buffering negative health outcomes” Yes negative outcomes like rape, HIV, domestic abuse and teen pregnancy. Can’t be made at that can we?

Want to play a game. Here’s a list of the sexual scripts listed in Dr. Stephens’ paper. Write the first image that comes to your mind. Once you’ve completed this exercise read her paper and compare your images to her definition.

Jezebel

Mammy

Welfare Mother

Matriarch

The Diva

Gold Digger

Freak- aka slut ho chicken head hood rat floozy women

Dykes

Gangster Bitch

The Sister Savior

The Earth Mother

Baby Mama

Dr. Stephens’ goal is to identify developmental factors promoting resilience and buffering negative health outcomes. I interviewed Dr. Dionne P. Stephens on The Urban Playdates podcast where she spoke about her work.

If you’ve found a solution or know of a group or individual taking action to fight the War on Black Women, feel free to contribute a What About Solutions? guest post so that we can highlight them. Contact us for more information. Note, WE aren’t writing the post, YOU ARE!

Beyond Black and White: Diverse Reactions to the Obama Election

by Maria Niles

Much of the perspective provided during the campaign and reactions to the election of Barack Obama have been framed by the legacy of America's long history of blacks, whites, racism, oppression and the struggle to realize civil rights.

However members of many other groups who do not fit the traditional black-white American racial paradigm, including Native Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans, have expressed their views on what Obama's victory and presidency might mean to their communities.

Some reactions are general hopes, dreams and explanations of what the election of a black president means to them. Others are looking at what policy changes they would like to see from an Obama presidency while there are those who are interested in whom he will appoint to serve in his administration.

Maegan la Mala of VivirLatino notes that Afro-Latinos were overlooked and seen only as discrete groups, has a round up of some reactions and writes:

One point that we, and other blogfriends have been trying to make ever since the start of the very long road to the White House, was that the way race and racial politics are talked about and analyzed needs to change. There was a clear reason why being Black and Latino was viewed as two mutually exclusive realms of being.

Claire at Hyphen Magazine explores the concept of Obama as Asian-American and concludes:

I don't know what that means for the future, except that Obama is my president. He is the only political leader I've ever seen who truly represents not just my experience, but my point of view on domestic and foreign policy. This is a view that is shaped by knowing and understanding -- as only a child living across two cultures can -- that America is not the only country, that American ways are not the only ways, and that we as a nation and a people have much to learn from others. That's not so much where race breaks down as it is where race gives way to things that have more meaning.

Ennis at Sepia Mutiny asks What Obama's victory means for me (and perhaps you):

What does this mean for desis? Well, not much in some ways. We’re still a small group, and we’re not going to get singled out for ponies and party favors.

But I think, for the first time, we’ve been truly seen and recognized. Obama knows both South Asia and South Asians. We aren’t just some weird American fringe ethnic group to him. He has called himself desi, cooked dal, and travelled in the desh.

His campaign drew upon desis not just for topics to do with South Asia, but for every day campaign issues. The director of my local Obama campaign office was actually a Ugandan Desi ABD whose father was born in Jinja. One of the core staff members in the office was a desi female, one of the Patels from Kentucky.

I am hopeful that under an Obama administration our background will not be seen as a liability or as something intrinsically un-American. And that, to me, is change that we sorely need.

That is my birthright as an American, what all of us are promised as citizens, that we will be part of one nation, indivisible, where all are acknowledged as equal. I think that, on Tuesday, we took a small step in the right direction.

Angela Pang at AsianWeek has a round up of Asian American reactions:

Locally and nationwide, Asian American groups are excited about President-elect Barack Obama. Here are some thoughts on how Obama’s historical election will affect the Asian American community in general and the work these organizations are doing in the community.

Ginny of Ginny's Thoughts & Things shares her Thoughts From An American Muslim Obama Supporter and she is very cautiously optimistic:

As a Muslim who voted for Obama, I didn’t see him as the “mahdi”, I didn’t have this vision of grandeur in my head that my life, and the lives of others, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, would all of a sudden, miraculously, get better upon his election and/or his assumption of the office of President come January 20th....

As far as the issues regarding Obama’s cabinet and governing choices and how they will affect Muslims both here and abroad, I’m taking a wait and see approach as far as that goes.

Jessica Yee, Special Correspondent to Racialicious writes about Barack Obama and the Native Vote:

Like millions of people all over the world, I’m ecstatic, over-the-moon inspired by Obama’s win. If for no other reason (and all the others too in which we share the same opinion, like abortion for example) than his win is actually a good thing for the people in my community. Yes indeed, the new leadership of Barack Obama in the United States of America is good for Native people, and you can sure as hell bet that a whole lot of us voted for him, and are counting on him to really give a crap about the issues we are facing.

Some bloggers are focusing on specific policy they would like to see enacted after January 20th. Maegan la Mala at VivirLatino highlights What a Colombian Indigenous Group Wants from Obama:

During a pre-election debate, Barack Obama made a clear point about one of the reasons he did not support the Colombian Free Trade agreement, the violence against workers. The Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca, ACIN, were appreciative of Obama's position, but wanted to shed light on their specific struggle and the struggles of other Native peoples in Colombia. So they, like so many others are doing, sent a letter to the President-Elect.

La Macha at VivirLatino and Marisa Treviño at Latina Lista both call for a moratorium on immigration raids.

Marisa writes:

The unprecedented turnout of Latino voters for Barack Obama signaled not just a desire for change in the country but a change in how federal immigration policy is adversely impacting Latino communities....

So I vote that Obama make immigration reform a priority. Unlike the financial help being afforded Wall Street and debated for the auto industry, which takes a trickle down effect to reach Main Street USA, the Obama Administration can implement a form of help that would immediately relieve countless Latino communities across the nation — put a moratorium on immigration raids.

La Macha links to a petition asking Obama to make this policy change.

And, although the media has focused on the possibility of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, Obama has also met with Bill Richardson about the role. Latino and Asian bloggers are buzzing about the possibility of Richardson and others serving and also looking at who is participating in the transition.

Jennifer at VivirLatino notes that a group of Latino activists are lobbying for Richardson.

Seneca at LatinoPoliticsBlog.com is not optimistic:

Hispanics will not fare high in initial appointments in the new Obama administration. Only three have been even mentioned: Richardson, Salazar (Sen. Ken) and perhaps Frederico Peña, but really only Richardson gets any real play.

And Seneca suggests that perhaps eyes should be on some different prizes:

Most Latinos have not yet figured out that most often an appointment to a regulatory agency (FCC, FDA, FTC, Nuclear Energy Commission, Highway Commission et al) is far more coveted by the economic movers and shakers because the regulatory process is the realm of the true economic gatekeepers in Washington not the normal executive departments.

Until the new administration takes office there is the transition team (which could be a farm team for some plum assignments). Eugenia Beh at Asian Americans for Obama '08 reports that transition team Executive Director, Chris Lu, is the most searched for person at their site. Beh also spotted several Asian American members of the Agency Review Teams.

It is wonderful to read the range of reactions from diverse communities. And while many are hopeful after Obama's election, most seem to understand that while a president of color inspires, his victory does not erase the need to continue seeking representation and policy of specific interest to those communities.

What policy changes impacting communities of color would you like to see President Obama make? Is there anyone in particular you are hoping will serve in a diverse cabinet?

BlogHer CE Maria Niles blogs about both race and politics at her personal blog PopConsumer