Jason B. Johnson
Chronicle Staff Writer
The San Francisco Chronicle
President Bush's call in his State of the Union speech to fight the spread of HIV-AIDS among African Americans was greeted with praise, surprise and some skepticism by health advocates and black political leaders.
"Because HIV-AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and provide care and treatment to the victims of the disease," Bush told a joint session of Congress Wednesday. "And as we update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases, African American men and women."
Bush's outspoken advocacy is in contrast with the silence of the man he calls his political hero, Ronald Reagan, who was criticized for failing to respond to the AIDS crisis during his presidency. Republicans such as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist are placing an increased emphasis on addressing the disease.
"I think that it caught everyone off guard," said Phill Wilson, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Black AIDS Institute.
African Americans were disproportionately affected by HIV-AIDS early on in the epidemic, and that disparity has deepened over time, according to data published Wednesday by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
African Americans account for more AIDS diagnoses, people estimated to be living with AIDS and HIV-related deaths than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Although African Americans represent only 13 percent of the population, they account for 40 percent of the 929,985 AIDS cases diagnosed since the start of the epidemic.
African Americans with HIV-AIDS also face greater barriers to accessing care than whites, according to the report.
Bush had discussed the problem in recent meetings with the Congressional Black Caucus and with a group of black ministers. After being criticized early in his administration for refusing to meet with the caucus, Bush reached out to black voters during last year's campaign by addressing the National Urban League and courting religious leaders.
Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, was part of the caucus delegation that met with Bush last week. Lee welcomed his comments, particularly since Vice President Dick Cheney acknowledged during a campaign debate that he was unaware of how serious the AIDS problem was in the black community.
Lee said it was good the administration recognized the impact AIDS was having on the African American community, and she looks forward to making sure the president follows up with funding.
"In the past, the president's promises have failed to match his policies, " said Lee. "If the president is serious about addressing HIV-AIDS in the African American community, the budget he will unveil next week will provide adequate funding for programs like the Minority AIDS Initiative."
Calvin Gipson, who was grand marshal of the 2004 Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, said he didn't watch the president deliver his address.
"It's difficult to listen to him talk," said Gipson, noting the serious need for education programs targeting African Americans. "AIDS is a crisis in the black community. Black people are dying at a time when other people (whites) are surviving."
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