girl Child

The TruthAIDS family of artisans is growing. These artisans use their craft and talents to teach about lessons that heal. The newest addition to the family is Lily.

lily(like the flower), grew up in Compton, California and began writing poetry, songs and short stories at the age of ten. lily spends much of her time writing, promoting her first book girl Child (The Transition in Poetic Form) and hosting poetry/ self-expression workshops for at-risk youth. lily is currently working on her first spoken word album and a second collection of poetry.

As an author, poet and lyricist, lily's strong voice holds true behind the powerful message of acceptance and self-love that she promotes in her poetry and music. We will be using her book in the TruthCircle efforts as well as our National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness event scheduled in Philadelphia, NYC, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

About the book girl Child (The Transition - In Poetic Form)
girl Child puts into poetic verse a young woman's journey from adolescence to adulthood. girl Child's message is as honest and witty as it is empowering. For more information visit www.lilyliketheflower.com or www.amazon.com.

Congresswoman Barabara Lee at the 2008 International AIDS Conference

Check out Congresswoman Barbara Lee's address on the U.S. HIV epidemic at the 2008 International AIDS Conference. This was the first time the United States epidemic featured so prominently at the International AIDS Conference. Global and local are finally colliding.

Girl Effect

This video is produced by a great website called girleffect.org

It is connected to the last entry about empowerment and lists the various ways you can empower young women. Check it out!

Who feels it knows it

I was recently on a panel about HIV and got asked a tough question about empowerment. The question was: “What does empowerment mean to you? What does it look like?” I gave an answer about jobs and economic security because those were the issues coming up over and over again in my work in Philadelphia. But I left the panel very unsatisfied with my response. My dissatisfaction was less at my ability to respond than at the limited constructs we have to understand the true meaning of empowerment.

Empowerment is an expansive topic. There is a totality about the phenomenon that is bigger than what any individual can see or say. That’s why it’s hard to explain. To understand empowerment we have to think collectively for the idea to fit in our world. I think ultimately it’s about freedom and having whatever you need to be free. In my case, my friends and family are critical.

An important aspect of staying free are supportive relationships. I just got a video from a kindred soul that prompted this blog entry. People can help keep you free. So part of what empowerment looks like to me is a web of nurturing relationships. Relationships that find you at the right time and at the right place. A lot of people don’t have this web. I would be lost without mine.

On that note, I have attached the video that inspired the lesson. Not surprisingly it is none other than Nina Simone. Enjoy and stay free…

99.5 WBAI Pacifica Interview

Check out the link to the Women: Body and Soul interview from today by clicking here. I talked about All of Us, new HIV prevention messages and more. Thank you to the host, Nathalie Thandiwe, for inviting me.

Question about Lecture 1

We just got a comment on the TruthAIDS site regarding video lecture #1 and I wanted to share my answer back to the following comment left by Jessica:

QUESTION: " I just wanted to share with you the experience i have had learning about
truthaids and show support in this movement to a more logical and realistic way
of combating STD's.... I really think that this idea of connecting aids and
STD's with underlying issues of violence and injustice is a powerful one. Along
with that, i am curious if whether or not this same concept could be applied to
other unsafe practices we (women, or even human beings) participate in that lead
to disease and destruction. I am wondering if the organization has extended
any of it's concepts to other STD'd that are lifelong such as HSV or HPV. Along
with that, the ideas of addiction and dependance that spawn from histories of
violence."

ANSWER: HIV is the first STD we have tackled and our approach to teaching about it as a justice issue with the general public is what we are learning all about. The connections between social justice and health apply to many issues, not just HIV. Creating a safe environment where peace is the norm, instead of violence would make us all healthier.

The best things in life happen COLLECTIVELY

Happiness is a collective phenomenon. A new study came out showing that happiness is important to your health! This connection is all about the positive effects of people in your lives. Yet another reason why social context matters to your health. So keep grouchy people away!

For a review of the study please click here.