New Magic Johnson Foundation/Black AIDS Institute HIV/AIDS partnership celebrates 10 years of heroes in the struggle
2010 Heroes and new date for gala concert and awards presentation.
June 9, 2010 — The Magic Johnson Foundation/Black AIDS Institute HIV/AIDS partnership is pleased to announce the 2010 inductees into the Heroes in the Struggle AIDS exhibition. Since 2001, Heroes in the Struggle has celebrated the achievements of individuals and organizations that have made heroic contributions in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Black communities. This year’s heroes include: President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the 42nd President of the United States (accepting via video), award-winning actor Blair Underwood, Academy Award winning producer and director Lee Daniels, award winning CNN correspondent and producer Soledad O’Brien, AIDS activist Marvelyn Brown, and HIV/AIDS trailblazer Frank Oldham.
Heroes In The Struggle is a photographic tribute to Black people who have made heroic contributions in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Since it’s debut on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2001, The Heroes In The Struggle exhibit has traveled around the world, raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, challenging individuals and institutions to get involved in their communities, and generating critical conversations about HIV testing, prevention, research, and treatment.
Each year, new Heroes are added into the exhibit. Portraits of this year’s heroes will be unveiled at a Gala 10th anniversary concert and awards presentation hosted by Cookie and Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson on Wednesday, December 1, 2010. The theme of this year’s Gala is “We are Greater than AIDS.” Black people have been greater than any challenge we have confronted in the past. We were greater than the Middle Passage. We were greater than slavery. We were greater than Reconstruction. We were greater than Jim Crow. And, we are greater than AIDS as well. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the new Magic Johnson Foundation/Black AIDS Institute HIV/AIDS partnership.
The Magic Johnson Foundation/Black AIDS Institute HIV/AIDS partnership is a new long-term collaboration between the Magic Johnson Foundation and the Black AIDS Institute to fight HIV/AIDS in Black communities. The new partnership will focus on advocacy efforts related to the National AIDS Strategy, expansion of HIV awareness under the “Greater Than AIDS” campaign, expansion of HIV testing thru the Test 1 Million campaign, collaborative fundraising opportunities, and joint programming activities in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of HIV/AIDS in 2011.
“The Institute is proud to partner with MJF. We are at a critical crossroad in the history of the AIDS epidemic in this country. If we are to be serious about ending the AIDS epidemic in our communities, we have to come together, leverage our skills and talents, and maximize our resources. That is what this new partnership between MJF and the Institute is all about. I can’t think of a better way to launch our joint venture than celebrating 10 years of Black Heroes in the Struggle,” said Phill Wilson, President and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute.
On behalf of the Magic Johnson Foundation, we are excited to work more closely with the Black AIDS Institute – an organization that continues to be on the cutting edge in the fight against AIDS,” said Towalame Austin, President of the Magic Johnson Foundation. “HIV/AIDS is detectible, preventable, and treatable. Together, we bring 30 years of training and capacity building, advocacy and mobilization, awareness and education, and philanthropic experience in fighting HIV/AIDS in Black communities to this battle. The bottom-line is together, the Institute and MJF are stronger, better and more effective at ending AIDS in our community. That is what Heroes in the Struggle is about and that is what this partnership is all about.”
For more information regarding the event or corporate sponsorship opportunities email HITS@BlackAIDS.org or visit www.HeroesInTheStruggle.com.
About the Magic Johnson Foundation
The Magic Johnson Foundation was established in 1991 as a single-disease organization that worked to raise funds for community-based organizations dealing with HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs. The Foundation has since expanded the mission to focus on developing programs and supporting community-based organizations that address broader educational, health and social needs of ethnically diverse, urban communities. Learn more at: www.magicjohnson.org.
About the Black AIDS Institute
Founded in May of 1999, the Black AIDS Institute is the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. The Institute’s Mission is to stop the AIDS pandemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing traditional Black leaders, institutions, and individuals in efforts to confront HIV. The Institute interprets public and private sector HIV policies, conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, disseminates information and provides advocacy and mobilization from a uniquely and unapologetically Black point of view.
