Every February 7th, we observe National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). This year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers. Building Health,” is more than a slogan—it is a directive. For those of us who call Dallas County home, this is not just a health observance;
it is a call to address a state of emergency that continues to disproportionately affect Black
and Brown communities.
As one of the first people openly living with HIV and serving in a state legislative body in this
country, I do not speak on this issue from a distance. I speak from the front lines of the
legislature and from my lived experiences. While we have made significant strides, the
reality remains: HIV continues to impact Black and Brown Texans in Dallas County at
alarming rates due to systemic barriers, stigma, and a lack of equitable resources.
The State of Emergency in Dallas County.
In Dallas County, the data tells a story we can no longer ignore. While Black people make
up approximately 22.2% of the Dallas County population, they account for 40.8% of those
living with HIV and 36.7% of new diagnoses. The crisis is equally pressing for our
Hispanic/Latino neighbors, who represent 47.8% of new diagnoses. In fact, cases among
Latinos have recently surpassed all other racial and ethnic groups in our local records.
This is why our response must be multifaceted. In Austin, I have fought to break these barriers by:
- Securing $2 million for HIV Vendor Drug Rebate Funding.
- Establishing a $600,000 pilot program for long-acting HIV injectables to make treatment more accessible.
- Advocating for HB 1680 to prohibit prior authorization for PrEP and HB 50 to ensure routine HIV screening.
Our progress, however, is currently under siege. Federal and state shifts are threatening the
very programs keeping our community alive. Recent federal budget proposals suggest
eliminating nearly all HIV prevention funding from the CDC—a staggering 78% reduction
that could gut national surveillance and prevention initiatives.
For Dallas County, these cuts are a death sentence for our progress. DCHHS has already
noted that every single new case of HIV results in an estimated $420,000 in lifetime
health expenditures. New cases in 2022 alone are expected to cost our community over
$382 million in future healthcare costs. Slashing funding for prevention and outreach will
lead to thousands of additional infections and millions in avoidable medical costs, effectively
unraveling decades of bipartisan work. We cannot claim to be “Ending the HIV Epidemic”
while simultaneously pulling the rug out from under the clinics and community workers who
do the work.
We cannot expect solutions to work for us if they are not developed by us. Currently, Dallas County is engaged in critical planning efforts to end the HIV epidemic, but for these plans to be effective, Black & Brown leadership must be at the table.
I am calling on our community leaders to move beyond awareness and into governance. We need Black professionals, advocates, and faith leaders to apply for and serve on the Dallas County HIV Task Force and the Ryan White Planning Council. These are the bodies that decide how millions of dollars in federal and local funding are spent. If we are not in the room when these decisions are made, our community’s unique needs will continue to be an afterthought.
To my fellow leaders in Dallas, the “Time for Action” is not a future date—it is today!
- To our Faith Leaders: You are the moral compass of our community. Breaking barriers starts with breaking the silence. We need our pulpits to be spaces of compassion, education, and destigmatization.
- To our Business Leaders: Health is the foundation of economic stability. Investing in the health of your employees and supporting local HIV service organizations is an investment in the Dallas economy.
- To our Advocates and People Living with HIV: Your voices are the most powerful tools we have. You ensure that “nothing about us, without us” remains the standard for care and policy.
- To every Black Resident: One of the most powerful things we can do to change the trajectory of healthcare in Texas is to VOTE. We must elect leaders who prioritize Medicaid expansion and protect programs like the Parkland Community Health Plan.
Ending the HIV epidemic in Dallas County requires us to be bold. We have the tools and the
science, from PrEP to U=U. What we need now is the unwavering political and social will to
finish the job. This NBHAAD, let us commit to action. Join the planning efforts, show up to
council meetings, and let us break every barrier standing between our community and the
health we deserve.
Find Us Online
● Website: www.SBPAN.org
● Social Media: @SBPAN_US
● Contact: info@SBPAN.org