The Black and Latino Commissions on AIDS

The RBF responded to the AIDS epidemic in New York City with three aims: public policy formation and leadership development; establishment of community-based, non-hospital care and services; and development of public education for populations at particular risk. This last was enacted in 1991 through a grant to the Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (BLCA), a consortium the RBF had helped the New York Urban League establish in 1987. At the time, 91 percent of children with AIDS and 85 percent of infected women were either black or Latino. The 1991 grant enabled BLCA to engage the black media, create a newsletter, and create a computerized listing of AIDS services available to the community. BLCA’s example prompted Latino leaders to launch the Latino Commission on AIDS to address the barriers facing this community, including language, immigration status, and cultural norms. In 1991, the Fund made a grant to this new group for start-up expenses and operating support.