Back to BLACC

Back to BLACC

Learning from and learning about the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition

GUEST BIO:

Imara Canady is AHF’s National Director for communications and Community Engagement as well as the National Chair for the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition. 

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[3:00] - Made to Serve a Purpose

The Origins of BLACC

In the beginning, AHF founder Michael Weinstein recognized both the responsibility and opportunity to serve the Black community through AHF. Calling on Black board members, he asked for ways to more deeply and authentically connect with that community.

This birthed the ABACT, or AHF Black AIDS Crisis Task Force. In just a few short years, the group had built strong coalitions in communities around the nation, and was able to branch out into other initiatives. These were the beginnings of BLACC.

[11:20] - Racism as a Public Health Crisis

Canady’s perspective on broadening the scope of public health

Imara has found that the message of racism as a public health crisis has strongly resonated in communities across the nation. 

“We’ve been socialized to understand the definition of public health from a very linear definition, but really when you look at public health, there are many layers.”

People of color have disproportionately low access to healthy food and general healthcare facilities, leading to lower quality of life and higher risk of medical conditions. Addressing systemic racism directly impacts physical health.

[13:47] - Building Back Trust

Repairing wounds between the healthcare industry and the Black community

BLACC has been hard at work within local Black communities, building a relationship of trust. They started by meeting people and working together to understand their needs, not just instantly pushing the HIV/AIDS approach.

They’ve also earned the trust of communities by not only providing financial support, but being a vocal supporter around issues that truly matter— whether it’s smaller organizations that are disenfranchised or individuals who feel marginalized. 

It’s about saying, “Let’s work on these issues together.”

[18:18] - Get Involved

Discover how you can help

Want to help with BLACC’s mission? If you’re within the AHF family of employees, you can send an email to [e-mail]. Otherwise, you can visit BLACC.net and request more information. No matter what community you're in, it'll link you to the local chapter of BLACC in your area. That’s a great place to start.

RESOURCES:

• [1:13] BLACC Website

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ABOUT AFTER HOURS:

AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization, operating in 45 countries globally. The mission? Providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

The After Hours podcast is an official podcast of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in which host Lauren Hogan is joined by experts in a range of fields to educate, inform, and inspire listeners on topics that go far beyond medical information to cover leadership, creativity, and success. 

Learn more at: https://www.aidshealth.org

ABOUT THE HOST:

Lauren Hogan is the Associate Director of Communications for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and has been working in a series of roles with the Foundation since 2016. She’s passionate about increasing the public visibility of AIDS, the Foundation's critical work, an