The women’s Liberation movement of the 1960’s was undoubtedly a major contributor toward the achievement of women’s empowerment. As we feel our strength and recognize our worth as women we seize and create opportunities for ourselves and for the upliftment of all women. We mobilize to challenge systems and governments that could not, would not or that simply were not responding to our needs as women. We educate ourselves; we fight for our own causes: We build coalitions that strengthen our positions. Why we even run for president of the United States. We have become makers, shapers and writers of our own history and our own destinies. Now then, another page in Women’s History was written in San Francisco June 15, 2008. Twenty-five (25) bold, brave, beautiful HIV Positive Women held the 1^st ever convening for the establishment and solidification of what history will come to know as “The Positive Women’s  read more »

ACT-UP Philadelphia; AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power Commemorates 20 years of Fighting Back to End the AIDS Crisis (Part1)

By

Waheedah Shabazz-El

June 2008, was an excitingly historical month in the city of Philadelphia Pa where the work of ACT-UP Philadelphia, The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power was distinguished for 20 years of chronological contributions as “Prize Fighters” in the AIDS Activist Movement.ACT-UP Philadelphia commemorated it 20^th year of direct action organizing, ACTing Up and Fighting Back to give rise to the end of the AIDScrisis, the group was honoredthroughout Philadelphia Fight’s14^th Annual AIDS Education Month.  read more »

I want to thank CHAMP and all of our Prevention Justice Mobilization Allies for giving me the distinguished honor as the Mistress of Ceremonies of one of the most meaningful events I have ever participated in. We all became a part of history as we formed the Prevention Justice Puzzle outling to the CDC, our health officials and elected officials what a comprehensive HIV prevention plan should look like. I am including the speech I gave at the Rally that outlines the direct correlation of wide spread incarceration and the high incidence of HIV infections in poor communities and communities of color.

Waheedah Shabazz-El,

CHAMP, Community Organizer/Trainer

ACT-UP Philadelphia, Organizer/Spokesperson  read more »