On January 27, 2007, the Polk County Convention Center featured an "I'll Make Me a World" event. The program was a celebration of what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished in his services to America. Hollywood actor, Morris Peterson served as guest speaker. There were kioskes with merchants selling their wares. They had caterers who provided soul food. But, they had something else.

A representative from the AIDS Project of Central Iowa handed out brochures. After reading them, I discovered what destruction the disease reaped on our African-American community. As 2007, black men made up 12% of the total population, but 50% of recent AIDS cases. Also, over 60% of African-American men survived nine years or more after their diagnosis. Unfortunately, about 1 in 5 men have the virus, but haven't been tested. There are reasons for the increase in AIDS infections among our people.

1) Lack of education in black communities has remained.
2) African-American males continued having unsafe sex.
3) A disturbing new trend called the "down low" has reaped havoc in the black population.

More people are needed to hand out AIDS prevention brochures in the ghettos. More people are needed to come speak at inner-city schools about the dangers of unprotected sex. Black homosexuals have to stop using dangerous, sex practices and sharing needles.

AIDS has become the #1 killer of African-American women. Sistas are being infected by their male partners. Unfortunately, their men kept a dirty secret from their wives and girlfriends. Instead of having monogamous relationships, straight, black men had sexual relations with other straight men. These "down low" relationships are unprotected and produced new AIDS case among both men and females. The carriers of the HIV virus moved around from circle to circle infecting their partners along the way. Black men brought the virus home to their spouses who end up infected with full-blown AIDS before treatments are rendered.

We survived slavery. We survived Reconstruction. We survived the Civil Rights Movement. We survived Vietnam. AIDS has become our newest form of genocide. We shall overcome!

Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
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