Black Church HIV Awareness Takes Center Stage at NABJ Convention

A plenary session at the National Association of Black Journalists convention on August 20 put a spotlight on the Black church's complicated relationship with HIV awareness and prevention.

Moderated by Nikole Hannah-Jones, the session brought together faith leaders, public health advocates, and journalists to discuss why stigma within some faith communities continues to slow progress in addressing HIV among Black Americans.

Black Americans represent 40 percent of those living with HIV in the United States, a disproportionate share that public health officials have long flagged as a crisis. Organizations like The Balm in Gilead Inc. have worked for years to bring HIV testing, counseling, and spiritual support into Black churches, with mixed results.

Panelists at the NABJ session said progress is being made but slowly. Some congregations have embraced HIV awareness as a ministry issue, hosting testing events and training members to speak openly about prevention. Others remain resistant, citing concerns about stigma or the perception that HIV is a moral failing.

"The church has always been the center of the Black community," one panelist said. "When the church speaks, people listen. That is exactly why we need the church in this fight."

The Balm in Gilead, which has partnered with thousands of Black churches since the 1980s, said it is expanding its training programs to reach more congregations in the South, where HIV rates among Black Americans are highest.

Public health advocates at the session called on faith leaders to use their platforms to normalize HIV testing and reduce the shame that keeps many people from seeking care.