AIDS

When I come across blatant misogyny in mainstream articles; clichés, stereotypes and sexist jokes that are enjoyed tolerated or ignored, I often ask myself; Would this be acceptable if it was written about black people?
In most cases it wouldn’t be. It would not be acceptable for a college newspaper to publish an article about how black people who go to nightclubs are sluts. It would not be acceptable for a respectable news channel to label a news segment about a black celebrity with a racial epithet. At the same time though, just last week a recognized comedian launched into a hate tirade against the black people heckling his standup routine. How can we even consider having defeated prejudice when Mel Gibson decides to defend him?

I have a number of posts waiting in the works but I had to get this one out today.

So, apparently Madonna has adopted a little Malawian boy . While I may not always agree with celebrities like Madonna, any attention by the world-at-large being given to the AIDS crisis in Africa is good news to me.

The big reason why this story stood out to me was because it reminded me of my Aunt Stella and her little baby boy Hezekiah. My Aunt Stella worked as the National Director for an organization called World Relief Malawi, in Lilongwe, Malawi. She was and still is passionate about enabling local churches to take a greater role in addressing the AIDS crisis in Malawi (as well as in Rwanda where she worked previously, and Uganda, her home country).