What Do These Beautiful Women All have in Common?

Today is National Women and Girls HIV and AIDS Awareness Day

Annette Fields, Rae Lewis Thornton, Pernessa Seele, and Princess Kasune Zulu are educators, activists and prayer warriors for the healing of HIV and AIDS. They believe in the power of prayer and the coming together of all people of faith to unite with purpose, compassion and hope. Through the power of God's love they hope to educate every American about HIV prevention facts; encourage and support HIV testing; advocate for the availability of compassionate care and treatment for all those living with the disease in every community in America; and love unconditionally all persons living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

During this National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, Sunday, March 7 through Saturday, March 13, 2010, every church, mosque, synagogue, temple and home is encouraged to join in prayer, education, advocacy, and service for the healing of AIDS in the United States and the World.
"Today, let our hearts be broken by the things that break the heart of God."

Hey Michael Jordan! Happy Birthday to the Greatest Player in NBA history

Today, February 17th, marks the 26th anniversary of Michael Jordan's 21st birthday--that makes him 47 years old, fine as frog's hair, and still getting paid as a result of an outstanding basketball career and business saavy.
Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player that has ever played the game--in my book. I'd never heard of him while he was a college baller, but I remember when I first saw him play as a rookie Chicago Bull, I said to myself, "Self, he's got the longest tongue I've ever seen." I'll bet quite a few women thought that...
And he never missed an opportunity to let folks see it hanging out as he sailed through the air over opponents and slammed backboards left and right. In fact, most of the action shots and posters show him gliding through the air--tongue hanging out with an air of victory boldly displayed in his body language and on his face. I like Michael Jordan cuz he laughed alot while he played and it was obvious that he loved the game of basketball.

I am impressed with everything about Michael Jordan's sports career, including the fact that he went to play professional baseball mid-career, and that he is currently attempting to purchase the Charlotte Bobcats basketball franchise.

There is a site called, The Evolution of Michael Jordan and there I found a list of
"10 things I bet you didn't know about Michael Jordan"
1.) He won 6 championships in his basketball career.
2.) He was 5 times voted regular season Most Valuable Player
3.) His career scoring average is 30.1
4.) He played in 172 games and scored more than 40 points in each
5.) He scored 50 or more points in 39 games
6.) He earned 10 scoring titles
7.) He retired 3 times
8.) He was awarded 2 Olympic Gold medals
9.) He scored 32,292 regular season points
10) He is listed as #1 of the 50 Greatest players in NBA history
Will there ever be another NBA player as great as Michael Jordan? No.

Haitian-American Utah's 1st Black Woman Mayor

While taxes, growth and quality of life were issues in Saratoga,
Utah's 2009 mayoral campaign, Mia B. Love's race was not. Nor is it with her.
The 33 year old wife and mother of three was recently sworn in as mayor--the first Black woman to do so in Utah's history.
She volunteers in her children's school and serves as legislative vice president in the PTA, as well as having served on the City Council for the past six years. Love explains that her family, Haitian immigrants who settled in Connecticut, instilled in her the need to give back to the community.

The 33-year-old Republican mayor has gone on record as saying she's never experienced racism while living in Utah, first in Salt Lake County, then in American Fork before moving to Saratoga Springs in 2001. Love's husband, Jason is Caucasian. Mayor Love and her family are Mormon.

"It is a physical feature," Love said, sitting in the dining room of her home in the Sunrise Meadows neighborhood. "I am proud to be a member of this community."

As a native of the great State of Illinois aka "Land of Lincoln," it was very apparent on the anniversary of what would have been his 201st birthday that Georgians as a group do not celebrate President Lincoln or his legacy. As I shopped for groceries , walking all through the supermarket and in other retail outlets in Covington, Georgia not one person that I encountered wished me a Happy Lincoln's birthday. I was simply appalled.
The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln's birthday was marked on Friday, February 12th by an aggressive snowfall over Georgia. There were no parties, galas or even barbeques scheduled, although the schools in Newton County were closed, not in honor of President Lincoln, but because the snow was coming.
Although I've only lived in Georgia for one year, I have yet to run across a park or a street named 'Lincoln'.

In lieu of our nation's difficult times, President Obama is calling us to be like Lincoln in working together across party lines.
" If we are going to get through this tough economic time, we are going to have to do it as one nation, as one people,"President Obama is quoted as saying.

Like Lincoln during the Civil War, Obama understands what it is like to be a president elected that many Americans do not agree with. I never really agreed with Bush on many of his conservative views. I didn't vote for President George W. Bush, but I never wanted to see him fail and drag our country down with him. I do not dislike the Republicans--even though they totally disrespected President Obama as a group during the State of the Union Address.
Obama supporters do not continue to harp on the fact that President Obama inherited this mess our country is in under the immediate past Bush administration. Can we come together as Americans and support our President--the people's choice for leadership?

Happy 201st Birthday Mr.President!

My friend, journalist Stephanie Gadlin and several FB friends posted this pic of President Lincoln and the following quote that is attributed to him prior to his signing the Emancipation Proclamation which freed Southern slaves on January 1, 1865. There were many comments blasting President Lincoln for the many statements made prior to him drafting this document. I love and applaud President Lincoln because even though he was relunctant to do the right thing for the right reason--good came out of it and I was born in Chicago, Illinois--a free child. Had history been different, I shudder to think of what my experiences could have been.
Happy Birthday Mr. President! Rest in Peace.

HONEST ABE DAY: "I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything."

Lady Gaga & Cyndi Lauper new Voices for MAC Viva Glam Lipstick to Support HIV Initiative

Pop divas Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper are the faces of From Our Lips, which is M·A·C Cosmetics’ Viva Glam campaign honoring women living with HIV/AIDS and those working to prevent new infections. All proceeds from sales of Viva Glam Cyndi (a light coral red lipstick) and Viva Glam Gaga (a light blue-pink lipstick) will benefit the M·A·C AIDS Fund. To date, the fund has raised more than $150 million to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and improve the lives of HIV-positive people worldwide.

“I’ve been familiar with the campaign and have been wearing M·A·C since I was 10 years old,” Gaga said in a statement. “To be joining the likes of iconic former Viva Glam spokespeople is an honor. My new Viva Glam lipstick color is amazing. It’s very me—a bluish pink, great for everyday, a little bit ’80s. I hope that women buy this lipstick, and honor themselves and honor the cause.”
In conjunction with the launch of From Our Lips, the M·A·C AIDS Fund released data from nationwide surveys on women and HIV. According to the M·A·C survey results, nearly three in five American women (55 percent) say they’ve never been tested for HIV, and 78 percent say they’ve had sexual intercourse without a condom. In addition, the average woman was last tested for HIV three years ago, compared to two years for the average man.

Princess Zulu: Sentenced to Death

Twelve years ago when Dr Tembo gave me the news that I was HIV positive, he gave me only six months to live. While Time magazine’s Man of the Year—Dr. David Ho—had created a cocktail of drugs that could suppress HIV, it would be years before treatment made its way to the poor hospital in Luanshya, Zambia where I lived.

Even five years later, only eight thousand people in Africa had access to these drugs—but millions had died. At the time, few people knew or admitted what had claimed their lives. We called the disease “Slim” or “Kalawe Noko,” which means ‘go and say goodbye to your mother.’ It had no respect of person—it took the young and the strong, leaving behind the weak and the frail.

Proudly today, I have witnessed a great increase in the number of people accessing treatment. Given the “perfect storm” of conditions that allowed AIDS to march across Africa, the fact that the tide is now turning is both remarkable and inspirational. Millions of deaths have been averted. Children can now sleep at night with their parents watching over them.

But I caution to add—our task is far from over. In 2008, for every two people who started taking antiretroviral drugs, another five become newly infected. Access to treatment is a long way from being universal.

We need to maintain the pressure on our elected leaders, our places of worship and our broader communities to march forward.

Twelve years ago, I was given six months to live. I am still fighting, and God willing, I will continue to do so. I will continue to fight until all who require treatment, regardless of where we were born and how we contracted the virus, have access not only to HIV/AIDS treatment, but to all health services. That to me is universal access—and that is a basic human right.

-Princess Kasune Zulu