Sterling, Washington DC
Sterling is the Special Projects Coordinator at Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc. serving the black, gay, and transgender communities in Washington, D.C.
Sterling on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Q: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is February 7. What would you like to tell people about HIV vaccine research on this day?
There are not enough people of color involved in these trials. If an efficacious vaccine is going to be found that works for everyone, then everyone has to get involved with the trials. It's very easy to say, "Oh, I'll let someone else do it," but there are not enough people out there who are in a condition to participate in a trial. Those who are eligible to participate should look into it. Those who are unwilling to or are ineligible can talk to others about it. For example, I talk about HIV vaccine research with members of my family. I tell them about the clinical trial process and how today it is transparent and focused on safety. Some of the older people in my family say, "Oh, well, Tuskegee this and Tuskegee that." I've heard that before and it's not really reason enough for people not to participate in the trials. I talk to people constantly about doing something, even just putting correct information out there.
Sterling on World AIDS Day
Q: What does it mean for you to be a community leader?
A leader is someone who not only articulates the issues and challenges the community faces, but who is able to act on it and garner support from other people in the community. A leader is a person able to work across organizations and build coalitions to find solutions to community challenges.
Q: World AIDS Day 2008. What can people do to be leaders for HIV vaccine research?
If people are going to be leaders on this issue they need to first get information from reliable sources and not just look at the headlines. It's important to get the complete story and then tell the complete story when you talk to people. For HIV activists, it's about incorporating these HIV vaccine messages into everything they say and knowing what's on the horizon.
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