myHIN Blog

December 10, 2012

#WAD2012: I Am An Activist

Saturday, December 1, 2012 was the first time I have ever participated in World AIDS Day. In the past, I honestly did not know that December 1st was observed as World AIDS Day. I do not remember anyone in my social networks talking about this day so it was not something that I committed to memory. Being on this project has forever changed that.

Personally, I was on a social media hiatus in order to focus on my studies since it was the last full week of school; however, on December 1st, I made an exception and I made sure to tell my friends, family, and colleagues that December 1st was World AIDS Day and that they should be informed. I tried to give them simple options to participate, such as dedicating a status to the cause, attending an on-campus event, tuning in to the Worlds AIDS Day event broadcasting live via whitehouse.gov/live, or visiting myhealthimpactnetwork.org.

I was very active on our Twitter account leading up to World AIDS Day trying to help tell our followers about #WAD2012 (the hashtag dedicated to the day). I supported other organizations in their effort to raise awareness in order to make an even greater impact. I found it very interesting to see the oil company, Chevron, raising awareness for the cause so I sent them a tweet. I commended Chevron on its ‘AIDS Will Lose’ campaign and asked them to check out our site. I was very surprised when they responded back! This gave me a different perspective of the company and made me realize that everyone was pulling together to raise HIV/AIDS awareness.

Other than participating in Relay for Life while in High School and wearing a pink pin in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this was the first ‘awareness’ day that I have tried to be apart of. Attending the Red Pump Red Tie event hosted by the @RedPumpProj in Charlotte was a great way to spend #WAD2012! The event was very creative with tying in alarming facts (did you know that North Carolina was #12 in the amount of HIV/AIDS cases in the US, and Mecklenburg County was #1 in North Carolina?!) and entertainment through a fashion show, music, and art.

This project (myhealthimpactnetwork.org) has raised my awareness of what’s going on in the world around me. I realize that I officially join the ranks of my idols Sheryl Lee Ralph, Alicia Keys, Bono, and Bill Gates as an HIV/AIDS activist! I am now inspired to use new technology to make a social change in the world. My Health Impact Network is proof that it is possible!

How did you spend your World AIDS Day? Are you an activist as well? Let us know, and be sure to follow us on Twitter @MyHealthImpact.