January 17, 2012

Hon. Theresa Freeman-Timmons

NYC Chapter President

National Action Network

106 W. 145th Street

New York, NY 10039

Re: HIV/AIDS Committee Suspension

Dear Ms. Freeman:

We the HIV/AIDS Awareness Committee of the New York City Chapter of the National Action Network is writing to you to appeal the committee’s suspension, that occurred on November 29, 2011.  We look to resolve this matter in a satisfactory way to both you and Rev. Sharpton, in order that the work of the committee may resume on behalf of the community.

Stigma, discrimination and homophobia-among other co-factors- are in fact the structural drivers that have fuel the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  One goal of the committee is to address those structural drivers with positive actions and methods proven to reduce the new incidence of HIV infections.   We encourage every one in the community to be tested on a regular bases and to direct and provide HIV awareness and  prevention to those communities of color who are disproportionally impacted with the disease of HIV/AIDS.

The committee has worked tirelessly over the past several years to put NAN in the forefront on its fight against HIV/AIDS.  We look forward to working with you to promote our 2012 agenda and to continue our collaboration with key HIV organizations and groups within the Harlem community.  It would be helpful to the committee if we had some dialogue as to what commitment NAN brings to the table in support of HIV/AIDS.  The Road to AIDS 2012 is one such example on how NAN could lend its support for the committee’s mission and to the AIDS community.  The Road to AIDS 2012 is a series of town hall meetings conducted nationally to engage communities in a conversation about the state of the AIDS epidemic in America. These meetings will also serve to have community input into the development of a domestic platform for the upcoming XIX International AIDS Conference that will take place in Washington DC in July 2012.

Please see attached the Committee’s mission statement and a listing of events that the Committee have either sponsored and/or participated in. You will see also the organizations we have partnered with over the past few years.  We urge that you support the immediate reinstatement of the committee and that your response be forthcoming at your most earliest convenience.  

Respectfully,

      Joseph Sellman, Chair

      Donald Goods, Secretary

      Janice Sweeting-Suad, Treasurer

      The Executive Committee

      NAN HIV/AIDS Awareness Committee

      nanoutreach@gmail.com