We can’t imagine the impact of what it meant to hear the message in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that all enslaved people were free by executive decree.
The moment of joy, and excitement (almost the equivalent of breaking out into song at the end of “The Wiz”) but then to hear that the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in the South on January 1, 1863. So, for over 2 years some folks in the South were free, while others were not.
What would be the impact of our ancestors hearing the message 2 years before?
In June, we honor Pride Month by remembering the history and struggles of queer pioneers who were exhausted, angry, and had reached their breaking point from being denied their existence. On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall riots began, marking six days of protest where the LGBTQIA+ community voiced their anger, frustration, and pain at being ignored, harmed, and disregarded as human beings. These events sent a powerful message: they had endured enough.
Our Woke Wednesday moment is looking at the impact of communication and how relaying the message sooner and with intention will benefit communities. But what helps us to shift the message of HIV and how we end the epidemic?
Communities need the message to make an informed decision on how they act and create their agency. As we reflect on this history, we must ask ourselves how we can change the way we communicate in the present to center queer voices alongside others, ensuring they are heard and respected.
Neither the language nor policies in the United States, have been kind as well as inaccurate in highlighting queer people. For the last 43 years, HIV has been miscategorized as a certain “type” of person, rather than recognizing that everyone is HIV possible and that the virus is not an identity of the person. From 1981 to 2024 we’ve seen progress, but how have we talked about it?
Millions of voices want to be heard and we can’t achieve or end this epidemic if we only channel through one voice. What are the ways that we can continue to communicate so that we are hearing the message?
Those few ways aren’t simple solutions. Everything worthwhile involves community, care, and a willingness to change. We have a leg up from Juneteenth and Stonewall due to technology, but old biases and our ways of processing information haven’t adapted as much. Information is still delayed, or rather, withheld.
In the HIV community, we know prevention and stigma reduction are the key. People are speaking up and creating initiatives to get their communities across the South focused on health (including sexual health). We’re not done imagining ways to end the epidemic when it comes to research as well—the Red Ribbon Registry, community conversations about what an HIV Vaccine can do, what medications people can get on, and new research on Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies.
Like “The Wiz”, our community asks, “Can you feel the brand new day?” If you can’t, community can help you. If you don’t feel like you have a community, join us, stay informed, and participate in our conversations. We commemorate Juneteenth and Stonewall by recognizing there are more conversations that we must have to reach liberation.