28 DAYS OF MELANIN: THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH APPRECIATION

[Aphrodite]

"I have been living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) since birth. I had full-blown Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by the age of 3. At first when I say that I was born with HIV, people think my story does not matter to them. What do I say to this? The same disease that I am living with is the same disease you can get from taking part in unsafe sexual acts, if you and your partner do not know your HIV status. The "H" in HIV stands for HUMAN - that means ANYONE.

Growing up I was always in and out of the hospital from blood infections to brain infections to having chicken pox 7 times because my immune system was so weak. I coded blue three different times, meaning I’ve died three times and the doctors brought me back to life. Knowing these things makes me appreciate life so much more.

I am [30] years old. I take three HIV/AIDS medications a day and I go to the doctor every 3-6 months, more if I’m feeling ill. I went to college, but had to stop going because I was sick and needed to rest.

It is possible for someone living with HIV/AIDS to have a relationship but partners have to be educated on how to stay safe. I am dating someone I’ve known since high school. We plan on getting married when he is done with school. At one point, I was madly in love with someone who was ashamed of letting people know I have full-blown AIDS, which hurt and sometimes brought me down.

I try to stay positive because there are people who are no longer with us, and I don’t want to walk around depressed when I have a heart beat.”

- Hydeia Broadbent

 

[NoMoreWhiteWoman2020]

Dr. John Bracey, a true living legend.

 

[Yehuda]

Sara Gómez

[...] In an industry dominated by men, Gomez’s presence was a brazen challenge to the status quo. Female directors in Cuba, especially those of African descent, were often marginalized and their films were not taken as seriously as those of male counterparts. Sara Gomez was one of the visionaries who started the movement to change this. Gomez was the first female Cuban filmmaker in the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), and her intimate portrayals of women in Cuban society sparked an important cinematic dialogue which continues to this day.

Sara Gomez was born in Havana, Cuba in 1943. She studied AfroCuban ethnography and piano at The Conservatory of Music in Havana. She then went on to work at the Cuban Film Institute as an assistant director to several famous Cuban filmmakers. Most notably, she studied under Tomas Gutierrez Alea, whose style influenced her work. Alea’s impact is most evident in Gomez’s best-known film, De Cierta Manera. The film is a love story set in the poor neighborhoods of Havana following the 1959 Cuban Revolution. It examines the cultural consequences of modern development programs in Havana’s slum settlements. The film highlights issues of race, sex and class in Cuba, and its form was as innovative as its content. Gomez combined documentary-style camera work with a fictional narrative; this allowed her to represent material reality, while also providing a creative and critical perspective in the piece.

Gomez’s promising career was cut unexpectedly short in 1971, when she died of an asthma attack at age 31. [...]

Remembering AfroCuban Filmmaker Sara Gomez

 

[Swirv]

Reginald Lewis



This brother changed the game for African Americans on Wall Street (by creating the first law firm solely by African Americans) and American businesses in overseas transactions (biggest buyout of a foreign company by an American one at the time). He was on track to becoming one the wealthiest people in the world when his life was cut short when he passed on due to a brain tumor at age 50. He wrote a bestselling book about his life titled "Why should white guys have all the fun".

Spoiler: his official website

Reginald F. Lewis - RFL Official Site