Get Educated: Learn the ABCs and HIV & AIDS.

We can't save the Beloved Community until we serve them. We can't lead the Beloved Community until we love them. Black People need to know we love them and that we have their greatest interest at heart. We have to restore hope in Black communities, domestically and internationally, and let National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2013 be the portal for restoration to begin.

Had we known what we know now 30 years ago, we would be in a much different place in regards to this epidemic. However, we didn't know much back then about how it was transmitted, where it came from, who had it and how to know. We didn't know how to take care of someone in our family living with it. We didn't know about the four fluids. We didn't know the differences between someone living with HIV and someone having an AIDS diagnosis.

BUT WE KNOW SO MUCH MORE NOW!!!

So now that we know, what do we do? There is an old saying that once you know better, you should do better. We know there are are four fluids by which HIV is transmitted (i.e. blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk). We know the nation's blood supply is safer today than ever before. We know there are a number of treatment options available and that being HIV+ doesn't mean someone is going to die immediately.

We are in an information rich era, where knowledge is right at your finger tips if you have access to the Internet and various technologies. We also know there is a lot if misinformation about HIV/AIDS within the Black community that is stopping us from acting responsibly. Some still believe hugging an individual will infect them, or sharing an eating utensil, drinking from the same cup or water fountain puts them at risk for HIV. Some folks believe it was created to destroy Black life and don't want to test due to these and many more misnomers.

Here's what we know for sure. HIV is 100% preventable and that abstinence works, being faithful and using a condom each and every time you have sex has worked to prevent HIV. We know there are hundreds of Black men, women and transgender individuals who have done a great deal of work in handing out condoms, lube, prevention materials and spent hours after hours beating the streets to tell others that prevention works. We know the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spends $600+ million annually on prevention programs. We know many health departments and community based organizations spend millions each and every year within Black communities to stem the tide of this epidemic.

We also know that the story is yet untold. We know there are still individuals in the Beloved Community who need to hear the basic HIV/AIDS 101 education messages and learn about the behaviors that put them at risk for contracting HIV. We know that nobody is born wanting to contract HIV or live with AIDS, somewhere along the way they put themselves at risk and that is their truth. We know we can speak another truth to those who have not debuted sexually and those who crave for more information about how to live a whole and healthy sexual life.

HIV/AIDS will be 32 years old in the United States in 2013. Youth and young adults have always lived in a time where HIV existed. But, HIV information fatigue is setting in, whereby many don't know the risks or are exhausted with using protection during sexual intercourse. There are many seniors and older individuals who grew up without using condoms and have become sexually active again, not knowing the many risks that have evolved. Then, there are those who struggle with making the transition from not using condoms to using them each and every time they have sex until they definitely know their sexual partner's history and status.

Education is an exchange of information, we have to take what we know and disseminate it to those who do not know in creative ways. With this, we will spark Black people to think differently about their sexual behaviors and how many partners they engage with. We have a responsibility to educate those who do not know or understand the many risks associated with HIV infection or re-infection.

We can't forget those who use drugs intravenously. We have a responsibility to share with them the importance of reducing or eliminating sharing of needles and how to clean their works. In an ideal world, people would stop using injectable drugs and get help for their substance abuse. But this is not a perfect world. So in order to decrease the risk of HIV, we must reduce the risk involved with injecting drugs. Disinfecting syringes reduces the risk of HIV by killing any HIV that may have contaminated the syringe. But how does disinfecting work? Go here for more information.

The elimination or reduction of stigma will also assist in stemming the tide of HIV. We have to do sex education 101 in our homes, communities, faith based institutions, and wherever we know that people are putting themselves at risk sexually. Black America cannot put its head in the sand and pretend as if people are waiting to have sex or only have one sexual partner - the numbers tell us a different story. If you don't know how to have the conversation about sex, contact us or someone in your local community to walk you through the process.

To begin, get the facts and know the data and statistics in your community. Once you have the information, find a platform to share what you know in a friendly and affirming way. Nobody wants to be beaten over the head with information. Remember, we have multiple crises in Black communities and HIV is in the top ten. So, don't be upset if the audience is not receptive initially - keep going back.