There is a critical need for action from both the GLBT and African-American communities to address the HIV crisis in black America. The problem has become one of colossal proportions and is now one of the largest health concerns within the African-American community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, HIV is leaving a disproportionate footprint in the African-American community. Although African-Americans only represent a little more than 12 percent of the U.S. population, they account for more than half of new cases of HIV infection.

February is Black History Month, and Feb. 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, so this is the perfect time to examine what is being done to turn these statistics around. And from what we can see – not much.

Latinos are the largest minority group in San Diego County, and we are fortunate to have organizations such as Bienestar and the Azteca Project, as well as the many services at The Center that are targeted toward the Latino community.

While African-Americans account for 15 percent of the county’s new HIV infections, the community comprises only 6 percent of our population, which may be why their needs have been overlooked for so long.

You can bet that if the HIV-infection rate among Latinos was more than double their 29 percent representation in San Diego, leaders in the community would be up in arms.

Both the GLBT and African-American communities need to step up to the plate because the problem is a tangled mix of both race and sexuality.

The local GLBT community needs to address this issue as aggressively as and in a similar way to how it has addressed HIV in the Latino population. Where are the programs specifically targeting black men who have sex with other men, both those who identify as gay or bisexual and those who don’t? Family Health Centers’ Brothers United and In the Mix are examples of services for black men, but where are the others?

The African-American community is also partially to blame. The silence on the issue from black leaders has been deafening. As strange as it may seem, there is a great deal of homophobia among black civil rights leaders, and many people unfortunately still equate HIV/AIDS with homosexuality. How people can fight for equal rights for one group while denying them to another is beyond us.

Black civil rights leaders have clearly dropped the ball. And what about other heroes and celebrities in the African-American community who are in a position to make a difference? Why haven’t the likes of Morgan Freeman, Beyoncé Knowles, Dave Chappelle and Ice T stepped up? Where’s Oprah when you need her?

Oprah has the power to move mountains. On a whim, she can make any author a bestseller, make someone a star or buy everyone in her studio audience a brand new car. She could sit in that chair of hers like a queen holding court, and all she would have to say is: “I want all of you watching this to go get tested for HIV. Oprah demands it!” The testing centers would have to physically bar the doors to protect themselves from the legions of Oprah fans doing her bidding.

Unfortunately, until we get some leadership on the issue, we’re on our own. We can’t change the world, but perhaps we can change our corner of the country. We need to include local black leaders at the policy-making table so culturally specific services actually reach their target. We also need black GLBT leaders to step up and get involved today.

For more information about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, visit www.blackaidsday.org.

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