"60 years ago today, a brave and courageous woman, Rosa Parks, took a
seat. By sitting down, she inspired an entire generation to stand up, to
sit-in, and to speak out. The actions of Rosa Parks ushered in a
nonviolent revolution".
-John Lewis
Her actions also inspired one of my most popular blogs. In honor of 60 years since Rose Parks refused to give up her seat, I bring back my blog and the question "What Does HIV mean to Hip Hop?"
-John Lewis
Her actions also inspired one of my most popular blogs. In honor of 60 years since Rose Parks refused to give up her seat, I bring back my blog and the question "What Does HIV mean to Hip Hop?"
This was original written in 2010 but yet still Black community has an alarming rate of new infections.
What does HIV mean to hip-hop?
Since HIV is hitting the Black community the hardest it should mean a lot.
While HIV is not something that just affects the Black community, and Hip Hop is not something just black people enjoy
or support, we can’t ignore the facts.
Just like Hip Hop runs through the blood of our inner cities, so does HIV.
Like Hip Hop, the fight against AIDS has been
watered down. We are complacent with the medical advancements made just
as Hip Hop is complacent with its commercial success.
Hip Hop’s lyrical content seems to be only about
sex, popping bottles, and clothes. It has forgotten how to make people
think. Today’s Hip Hop reflects a void of understanding within our
community.
When it comes to AIDS in the Black community we have chosen to turn a blind eye and not talk about it. It
makes us comfortable to ignore the subject.
The fact is our community is being hit the hardest. How can we remain silent any longer?
What happened to the Hip Hop campaigns in the early
1990s that told us to “Rap It Up?” Maybe some people are happy that we,
as a community, have not learned how to work together in fighting
HIV/AIDS or learned how to educate our brothers and sisters on safe sex.
A line that replays in my head from Nas’ song “If I ruled the World”
exclaims, "It’s elementary, they want us all gone eventually."
AIDS has not gone away. It has become a silent
killer in the Black community because we have forgotten how
to speak up and speak out. We don’t seem to care about our neighbors or
ourselves. This is evident in the lack of responsibility people are
taking with their own sexual health. CDC estimates that more than one
million people are living with HIV in the United States. One in five
(21%) of those people living with HIV is unaware of their infection.
This means that people could be unknowingly infecting others. At what
point will we start talking about HIV without our minds drifting to the
long held misconception that it is a gay disease? The H in HIV stands
for human, meaning any part of the human body that gives life, or preserves life can transmit HIV.
While Blacks make up only 14% of the US
population, we make up 44% of all new diagnosis of HIV. For my Black women, HIV infection is nearly 15 times as high as that of
white women and nearly 4 times that of Hispanic/Latina women.
My Black men, unlike the lyrics in today’s Hip Hop
would have you believe, our sexual behavior does have consequences. You
account for two-thirds of new infections (65%) among all blacks.
We have to talk to our sexual partners about HIV
and STD’s like our life depends on it because guess what, it does. We
have to become responsible for the images we portray and the lifestyles
that we glamorize. I challenge you today to: 1)
Get tested. Know your status. Early detection can be the difference
between life and death. 2) Educate yourself on HIV/AIDS. 3) Talk about
it to your family friends’ co-workers. Talk about HIV on Twitter,
Facebook or whatever social media site you may use. Just speak up.
AIDS is killing our people because of our fear of
being judged if we bring up the subject. Well excuse me but I cannot and
will not sit back and watch the demise of my community because of fear
of what people will think of me, can you?
Who will be the new pioneers in Hip Hop? Who will be the new voice of protest within our community?
December 1st is World AIDS Day. This is an
opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on,
and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and
prevention services, BUT December 1st is also the day Rosa Parks refused
to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus
Boycott.
The act of one person standing up for what is right set in motion the act of followers following and speaking up!
Who will be the Rosa Parks of today?
© 2010 Hydeia Broadbent.com . All rights reserved.