(Tabatha Bognar, Houston Chronicle)
As a choir sang spiritual hymns, the senior pastor at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Humble sat on stage in front of hundreds of congregants Sunday morning, rolling up his sleeve to have his blood drawn by a member of a local wellness center.
The Rev. Timothy Sloan stood calmly with a smile, as he awaited and then read the results of his HIV test. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to say I have been tested and my results are negative,” Sloan announced to the cheering crowd.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People joined forces with local African-American church leaders Sunday in the first national “Day of Unity,” which encouraged pastors to take an active role in fighting the spread of HIV. The event provided testing and education to the black community.
“This is an epidemic; we must address the issue if we are going to defeat it. Today I encourage everyone here to get tested,” Sloan preached. “Know your status.”
A training manual, “The Black Church and HIV: The Social Justice Imperative,” was also unveiled Sunday for anyone interested in learning about HIV/AIDS, but is focused on providing church leaders with the tools they need to talk about this topic within their communities.
…According to the CDC, roughly 20 percent of 1.2 million U.S. residents living with the virus are not aware of their status. Houston is considered one the nation’s HIV/AIDS “hot spots” with about 22,000 cases. About 42 percent of the 4,242 Texans diagnosed in 2010 were black.
(Read the full story at the Houston Chronicle)
MORE HOUSTON NAACP NATIONAL CONVENTION COVERAGE:
NAACP Pledges to Overcome Voter ID Law (Houston Chronicle)
NAACP Convention Focuses on Youth (KPRC 2 News)
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