AFAM-Extra Credit

I believe that is safe to say, that the television is the most influential media available in today’s society. With that being said, many opinions and or conclusions are drawn based on the information provided. In most cases a particular group is either targeted, or left out. I’m focused on the second part of this fact. We are all well aware of H.I.V, the causes, possible treatments, and preventions. These words have been embedded within one’s mind, for sometimes now. Yet I recently discovered that this hasn’t always been the case for African Americans. As an African American woman, this disturbing fact was indeed an eye opener. HIV’s portrayal as a” white-gay-man’s’ disease in 1981 easily mislead African Americans who although obviously didn’t fit into this category, were oblivious to the fact that HIV is color-blind. Consequently a nonchalant attitude towards HIV was adopted. As a result, African Americans are in the lead of the HIV diagnosis’ race; with African American women striving for the gold. African Americans are said to have 55% of H.I.V. infections (guiding right). Sadly, that’s not including the unknown. People that were known to be infected were usually famous, which eventually plummeted. The surplus of the well known African American basket ball player Magic Johnson led to a reality check for African Americans: it can happen to me. Magic Johnson unconsciously facilitated in this much needed epiphany. I was whole hardly agreed that celebrities make an impact on situations that the average person couldn’t. One would think that with the influence and impact that celebrities obtain, they would speak out- yet silence is usually addressed with this situation. Therefore media shows should expand HIV information outside HIV awareness week. Even so, it may be an uproar for awhile, and then die off. Why so? While the “old news” is dying off, unfortunately so is the African American community. Moreover, “disproportionate’ media issues combined with lack of funding, lack of insurance and education aid in this epidemic. Words of advice: get checked because HIV sees no color.
Jessica Turner