HIV has shaped conversations in Black communities for more than four decades — not just as a medical condition, but as a source of fear, silence, and stigma. That stigma didn’t appear out of nowhere. It grew out of historical trauma, misinformation, and the ways racism has shaped access to healthcare. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to shift the narrative. It’s a moment to honor our communities’ resilience, share accurate information, and create space

In many Black and Afro‑Latinx families, health is a shared responsibility. We cook together, celebrate together, carry stress together, and care for one another across generations. That’s why heart health isn’t just an individual issue—it’s a community one. Cardiovascular disease continues to affect Black and Afro‑Latinx communities at higher rates, not because of biology, but because of long‑standing inequities: limited access to care, food deserts, chronic stress, environm