Black AIDS Institute

The Black AIDS Institute seeks to end the HIV epidemic in Black America by addressing these health disparities at their root. The Black AIDS Institute works to ensure that Black communities have the education and the access that they need to receive HIV tests at their will, access prevention techniques that work for them, and access treatment. This means changing policies that preclude many people from healthcare, training institutions on providing care to their patients, and working with communities to mobilize for their rights.

Founded in 1999, the organization uses diverse tactics, including mobilization and advocacy on a national scale, training institutions, community education, and direct services in Los Angeles to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment for Black communities. The organization works from a uniquely and unapologetically Black perspective, meaning that the Black AIDS Institute centers the needs of all Black people when informing its strategies. For example, if considering protocols around HIV testing, one must take into consideration whether asking for ID will be a deterrent to homeless people, gender non-conforming people, or undocumented people. Lowering or erasing the barriers to care and prevention methods that exist for Black people is key to the work of the Black AIDS Institute.

The Black AIDS Institute mobilizes communities through its chapter-based coalition, called the Black Treatment Advocates Network. This coalition spans 23 cities and includes stakeholders such as people living with HIV, community advocates, policy makers, and medical providers. This coalition engages in community education and mobilization at the local level. In addition, the Black AIDS Institute’s training and capacity building efforts allow the organization to work with medical institutions, health departments, and community based organizations to provide technical assistance around working with priority populations and uptake of high impact prevention techniques. Finally, the Black AIDS Institute has been providing direct services in terms of HIV testing and support groups for young Black men and for people living with HIV since 2016.

The Black AIDS Institute has provided technical assistance to eight different health departments in the South (FL, LA, GA, MS, MD, AR, Fulton County, Broward County), addressing a wide range of issues. Furthermore, the Black AIDS Institute has worked with organizations such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America to build their technical expertise around HIV, and with events like Essence Festival in New Orleans, to bring information straight to the community. From 2018-2019 the Black AIDS Institute provided over 400 HIV tests to Angelenos.

In 2019, the Black AIDS Institute is stepping into a transition as the founder and CEO retired at the end of 2018. The goals for this year are to continue to deepen the clinical work in Los Angeles and to build more infrastructure for work in the South.