What: 2nd National Black Women and HIV/AIDS Conference

When: February 7 - 11, 2007

Where: Omni Hotel – 251 S. Olive St. Los Angeles , California 90012

Who: Sponsored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the National Council of Negro Women.

Fiscal Agent: The Black AIDS Institute

Theme: It’s All About M.E.E.! Sistahs Getting Real About HIV: Mobilization, Education, Empowerment

Purpose: AIDS remains the leading cause of death of African Americans in the United States . More specifically, the statistics for Black women in the U.S. are as follows:

• AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women between the ages of 24-34.
• Black women account for 72 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases among women.
• Black women are 19 times as likely as White women to have HIV/AIDS and 13 times more likely to die from the disease.

The objectives of this conference areto highlight and educate Black women across a br oad spectrum on the impact of HIV/AIDS and to stimulate concrete and effective action to prevent the further spread of the disease in Black communities.

Numerous barriers exist that prevent Black women from seeking prevention or sustaining treatment for HIV/AIDS: Racism, sexism, drug abuse, socioeconomic status, poverty, educational level and low self-esteem—all fuel the spread of HIV among Black women. Accurate and comprehensive information dissemination by and for Blacks is key to combating the epidemic. Involving Black women in education, empowerment, and mobilization and developing a network of women from diverse backgrounds that can speak “peer-to-peer” about the myths and the facts around HIV/AIDS are critical to the acceptance of the magnitude of the disease in Black communities and the development of an effective response.

Conference Overview

To help address the prevention, testing and treatment barriers faced by Black women in the U.S. , the It’s All About M.E.E! HIV/AIDS Conference will create a national platform that will mobilize and educate Black women. The goals of the conference are the following:

• Raise awareness about the magnitude of HIV/AIDS in the Black community
• Increase the capacity of Black women to build effective responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities.
• Create a national network of Black women committed to ending the AIDS epidemic among Black women.

The objectives of the conference are as follows:

• Connect Black women to HIV/AIDS resources.
• Increase HIV/AIDS knowledge.
• Offer tools to enable Black women to educate their peers on the subject of HIV/AIDS.
• Present practical information to help Black women take control of their sexual health.

The target audience for this event is Black women, primarily those who are key opinion leaders, corporate stakeholders, government officials, community advocates, celebrities and gatekeepers and women living with or affected by HIV. Consistent with the Black AIDS Institute’s two guiding principals — everybody counts and everyone can help — this unique opportunity will bring various stakeholders together to combat HIV/AIDS among Black women in a way that has proven to be successful with our first conference in 2005.

Outcomes

As a result of the conference, outcomes will include:

• A national call to action for Black women
• The launch of the Black AIDS Institute’s national It’s All About MEE! Speakers Bureau
• A National Mobilization Initiative of Black women committed to increasing their knowledge of the disease by actively educating their community (e.g., participating in outreach efforts, volunteering, supporting a local AIDS organization)
• The development of a national Black women’s strategic plan.

In addition to directly reaching the 500 women who will attend, this conference will reach hundreds of thousands of Black women through scheduled media outreach and coverage of this historic event.