And Still We Rise

At NMAC we would like to thank you for continuing to rise in this current time. With so much on the line, it’s important that we as a community make our voices heard. Today we are calling out for the needs of those vulnerable to and living with HIV and we ask that you join us for the HIV Action Day this Sept 6.

We know that when we rise, we shape history. But this is not the beginning of a movement, it is a continuation of a struggle that we have consistently advocated for 30 years. We have stood up and defended what is rightfully ours in the journey towards an end of the epidemic. We ask you to join us so that we may rise together as one family calling for the dream of ending this epidemic. We rise for the people we know, for the people that have passed, for those living with, and for those who need our hope.

We rise to remind others that the call of the HIV community has moved mountains and has changed the course of history. When we rise as a community, we remind others that our work is not done, and that there is still work to do. We are still called to continue the process. Through collaboration and partnership, we can bring an end to this epidemic.

This goal will not be realized without the collective work of our communities. Together, we must show our power, our strength, our brilliance, our courage, and remind others of a long-held dream that will touch the lives of millions. So, we ask, will you be there on ourHIV Action Day? Will you add your voice with ours and let the country hear a resounding demand for justice from our communities?

Over the last few months we have seen the kind of engagement that will help move us closer to victory. An engagement, that despite the challenges we continue to face, proves we can make change happen on federal, state, and local levels.

We hope in the spirit of family reunion you will join us on the steps of the Capitol to rise together to speak out at this pivotal moment in our history. For 30 years NMAC has fought for racial justice and equity across the healthcare system to end the epidemic. This year, we rise for people living at the margins who are in most need of our support and ask you to join us as on September 6 when our movement gathers at the Capitol to rise once again.

Yours in the struggle,
Matthew Rose
Policy and Advocacy Manager

100 Days: What Are We Fighting For?

100 Days: What Are We Fighting For?

It’s the first 100 days of the new administration: what are we fighting for?  NMAC’s bottom line is access to healthcare, medication, and wrap-around services for all people living with HIV.  Through many administrations, multiple pieces of legislation, and revised strategies, that has always been our guiding principle. NMAC uses access as the litmus test to deal with the myriad of challenges facing our communities.

100 Days into the new Trump Administration and we’ve had to reprogram ourconferences, capacity building, advocacy work, listservs, and messaging.  Revising the tone and tenor of our communications has required different messages for constituents vs. the administration.  As a movement that depends on government funding, we mustwork with Congress and the Trump Administration. However, as an organization that leads with race, it is in our DNA to speak out for justice.  We’ve had to learn to balance these competing needs.  Here are some of NMAC’s lessons from the first 100 Days:

  • Don’t Panic
  • Show Up & Fight
  • Hope

Don’t Panic
Don't PanicImmediately after inauguration, Presidential Executive Orders threw DC into a tailspin.  They made it difficult to figure out priorities and very easy to panic.  After 100 days, we’ve seen that DC is a very difficult place to change.  Many proposals were either tabled or stopped.  Democracy is messy and challenging, and that’s exactly what our founders wanted.  The initial panic has given way to a focused understanding that we have time.

In order to survive, NMAC has learned how to send out “dog whistles” to not put our movement’s funding in the crosshairs.  We don’t publicly comment on everything, but that does not mean we aren’t working on critical issues behind the scenes.  Part of our response has been to build new partnerships and to operate in different ways.  NMAC is part of a group of agencies that has hired a firm to represent us on Capitol Hill.  It’s not helpful to share what they do, but please know this group is present in more ways than we publicly discuss.

Show Up & Fight
From the Women’s March to the congressional town hall meetings on healthcare reform, we’ve come to understand how important it is to show up and speak truth to power.  We aren’t sitting on the sidelines hoping to be saved.  To end the HIV epidemic, our movement must show up and fight.

The new administration has changed the equation for activism.  That’s why this year’s HIV Action Day is so important. Join us September 6th in Washington, DC to make your voice heard.  We know that movements that turn out constituents are the movements that make a difference.  Your movement needs you!

Hope
The election threw me for a loop.  We are so close to ending the epidemic, yet could that happen without access to healthcare?  100 days into the new administration and I am hopeful that can still be our goal.  It’s going to be a struggle and we will not get everything we need, but we will also not lose everything.  There are reasons to hope.  The new administration has expressed its support of the Ryan White Care Act.  People are fighting back for healthcare.  Change is coming much slower, that gives us time to continue our work to end the epidemic.

Not only is this NMAC’s 30th anniversary, but I’ve also been its executive director for 27 years and 9 months (but who’s counting).  I was there when our movement looked death in the face and laughed.  We are stronger than any administration.  There is reason to hope.  Join us at USCA in September, come to the Summit in December. Your movement needs you and you need your movement.

Yours in the struggle,


Paul Kawata
202.277.2777

Scholarship Deadlines: What You Need to Know!

Scholarship Deadlines: What You Need to Know

NMAC is offering many different scholarships to USCA and the Summit this year. This e-newsletter is meant to help you learn more about the various options we are offering and their deadlines. It will also outline our 2017 priorities to explain how decisions for selection are made.

Thanks to ViiV Healthcare and the Magic Johnson Foundation there will be 30 youth initiative scholarships for USCA. Additionally, Gilead is supporting 50 scholars over 50 living with HIV as well as 100 scholarships for the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit. Finally, all of the 2017 USCA sponsors will support 150 scholarships for the main meeting. In honor of our 30th Anniversary, this is the largest number of scholarships (330) that NMAC has ever provided.

Deadlines

30th Anniversary Member Priority
Half of this year’s scholarships are set aside for 30th Anniversary Members.  In commemoration of this anniversary, NMAC has created a special 30th Anniversary Membership Rate of $30 for People Living with HIV and Youth Under the age of 25. Additionally, as a special thank you, NMAC is setting aside 50% of all the 2017 scholarships for 30th Anniversary Members.  To confirm your membership, please email Aminata Kamara.

50 States
Our second priority is regional diversity.  One scholarship per state guarantees delegates from all 50 states and the territories.  This supports the national vision of our meetings.

Top 20 Cities
The third priority is to establish scholarships for attendees coming from the 20 cities with the highest incidence of HIV.  This objective is meant to ensure active participation from leaders representing those regions that are the most highly impacted by HIV.

Racial Diversity
NMAC’s mission is to lead with race to end the HIV epidemic.  This means scholarships will be set aside for African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Latinx, and Native Americans.  We believe that we MUST address race if we are to end the HIV epidemic.

New Scholarship Recipients
NMAC is committed to building new leaders.  Our final priority is to provide scholarships to new recipients.  While not always possible, NMAC hopes to encourage emerging leaders in our efforts to end the epidemic.

Thank you for your support of NMAC.  We hope this helps in your scholarship application process.

Yours in the struggle,

Tara Barnes Darby
Conference Director
202-870-0460


 

NMAC’s New HIV PrEP Navigation Program

NMAC’s New HIV PrEP Navigation Program

NMAC is pleased to announce a new initiative that Links Communities of Color into Care through a HIV PrEP Navigation Program. Funded by the National Library of Medicine and Gilead, this program will improve recruitment, linkage, retention to care, and health outcomes for people of color who are at high-risk for HIV. It’s built upon the belief that persons trained as HIV PrEP navigators can be effective in reducing and eliminating barriers to timely prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV in their own communities.

Tell us about your Navigation program!

Tell us about your navigation program and the first 300 constituents who complete the survey will receive a $10 Amazon gift card!!  This assessment will help NMAC collect data focused on the professional development needs of HIV navigators and mechanisms that support the successful implementation of HIV PrEP navigation programs. Complete the National 2017 Assessment no later than April 27th, 2017.

Capacity Building Assistance
The services provided through this program will improve the capacity of community-based and healthcare organizations to provide HIV PrEP navigation services to persons of color who are at high-risk for HIV. Services will be delivered through trainings, technical assistance, and information sharing.

The program offers:

• HIV PrEP Navigation Trainings
• HIV PrEP Navigation Technical Assistance on topics such as:

  • Health Literacy
  • Legal considerations for PLWH
  • Motivational interviewing
  • Cultural competency
  • PrEP and biomedical interventions
  • Performance management for navigation supervisors
  • Program evaluation for HIV navigation programs

• HIV Navigation Resource Repository

To learn more about this program and other programs offered by NMAC we encourage you to visit our website or email us at linc@nmac.org.