By Ella Shapiro
When you talk to Judy Brown, it is immediately clear that the 69-year-old Chicagoan is passionate about advocating for the people around her. Every day, Judy commits herself to helping others and has been doing so since she and her husband tested positive for HIV in 1993. Judy is an active member of AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC)’s Ryan White community advisory...
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Meet Roy Ferguson: AFC board member
By Ella Shapiro
One of Roy Ferguson's greatest pleasures in life is spending time with his granddaughters. Every morning the 70-year-old Chicagoan and his partner, Michael, each take one of their youngest granddaughter’s hands and walk her to school. The pair’s eldest granddaughter just got onto her high school’s...
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By Bailey Williams
When racist ideas resound, denials that those ideas are racist typically follow...Denial is the heartbeat of racism, beating across ideologies, races and nations. -Ibram X. Kendi in How to Be An Antiracist
On Feb. 14, 2020, the New York Times profiled Black painter Jordan Casteel in recognition of her first solo museum show. When the article was completed,...
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The jury in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin has returned guilty verdicts for the Minneapolis police officer who murdered George Floyd in May 2020. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
George Floyd’s death reignited a nationwide movement to reform policing and law enforcement practices, systems that were developed to...
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By Coleman Goode
The dictionary definition of community is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” I like to think of community as a social group with commonalities such as norms, religion, values, customs or identity — basically, you all want the same thing for yourselves. The term “community mobilization”...
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By Ella Shapiro
Jade Greear, a member of AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC)’s associate board, is excited about this summer and the opportunity to go out more in the upcoming months. Jade’s optimism is something that many of us have not felt while enduring the COVID-19 pandemic, but Jade has good reason to feel optimistic. She’s fully vaccinated against COVID-19. ...
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By Ella Shapiro
Even though Women’s History Month has come to an end, AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) wanted to continue the celebration of impactful women by recognizing a local advocate who has devoted herself to supporting other women for almost 30 years. Dr. Cynthia Tucker, AFC’s Vice President of Prevention and Community Partnerships, has spent decades helping cisgender...
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By Ella Shapiro
Working as a server can be incredibly stressful. During my shifts I am constantly multitasking: running food, taking orders and calming upset customers. I prepare each day by stocking extra plates and silverware, making sure I know the daily specials and fluffing the cushions on each chair. I prepare like this in the hopes my shift will run more smoothly. But being...
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Revised March 29, 2021
1. Safety
The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is a top priority. No steps have been skipped during the rigorous and highly regulated development process. All COVID-19 vaccines were thoroughly reviewed and approved for use by the U.S. FDA.
2. How COVID-19 vaccines work
All three vaccines –Johnson & Johnson (J&J),...
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By Ella Shapiro
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Milani Varela, 33, used to take the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) twice a week to a clinic where she attended individual and group therapy sessions. When her clinic closed to support social distancing, Milani's therapy sessions moved to Zoom. This let Milani sleep in later, save money on transportation and reduce her risk of exposure...
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