By Jennifer Porter Gore
Overview: In 2016, the CDC estimated that half of all Black gay men in the U.S. would contract HIV in their lifetime. That projection didn’t sit well with MOBI founder DaShawn Usher.
(WIB) – In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delivered news that rocked the Black gay community. It estimated that half of all Black gay men in the U.S. would contract HIV in their lifetimes — despite the availability of breakthrough drugs that all but block transmission of the virus.
That grim prognosis, based in part on healthcare disparities and access to treatment, didn’t sit well with DaShawn Usher.
“At that particular time, I [had] done direct service]” providing social services to those in need, Usher says. “So, knowing there was a 50% chance, if nothing changes, for Black gay men and queer folks to [be] exposed to HIV wasn’t necessarily an option when I knew that there were resources like PrEP” and other medications to manage HIV infection and control its spread.
The missing link for Black gay men, he concluded, had to be lack of awareness: “If we have all of this education and all of these tools, it was just that no one was aware” of current treatments.
The year after the CDC’s 2016 announcement, Usher co-founded Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative, or MOBI, a grassroots LGBTQ collective focused on the health and well-being of the Black LGBTQ community. On Wednesday, MOBI is sponsoring an event in New York City to mark the 37th annual World AIDS Day, themed “Centering Black & Marginalized Voices Together.”
“We’re an organization that focuses on holistic wellness and care” based in New York City, says Usher. “So, we [serve] Black gay men and queer people of color to see their holistic self. We do this through our signature programming called MOBI Talks, which is a personal and professional development series that has been supported by ViiV Healthcare,” a pharmaceutical company that develops HIV medications exclusively.
RELATED: Living Long With HIV Is Possible. Living Well Is Harder
The MOBI Talks series “teaches participants the importance of being tested and knowing their HIV status, taking care of all aspects of their health, and maintaining community support systems,” Usher says.
The data is disturbing: roughly 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, and Black Americans account for nearly 38% of new HIV diagnoses despite being only around 12% of the population. Globally, in 2024, approximately 630,000 people worldwide died due to AIDS-related illnesses.
Compared to the estimated 2.8 million AIDS-related deaths in 2005, the reduction is a great improvement. Still, millions of people continue to lose loved ones to the disease.
And the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day, “Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response,” bluntly sums up the current issues confronting AIDS patients and advocates alike.
Funding Cuts Threaten Global HIV Progress and Endanger Programs
When the Trump administration essentially dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development earlier this year, it ended the financial support that had funded a large part of the global HIV response. As a result, many HIV programs were interrupted and several have not recovered.
The new political realities underscore the importance of MOBI in filling those gaps, Usher says, pointing out it also helps participants find employment and mentor opportunities.
“The MOBI Talk series is important, because it is showing people that there are so many different careers that people have,” he says. “It may feel like it, but you are not the only one or the first one to do this.”
Partnering with ViiV has enabled MOBI to expand by offering programs in Los Angeles, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta. Programming includes support for Black queer artists through its annual art show, concert, and wellness activations.
“We have a long history of supporting people in industries where we’re not always visible,” Usher says. “And so now it’s the time to just connect those dots so that people are better connected to care.”
World AIDS Day Event
MOBI is partnering with The Prolific Circle for a World AIDS Day Event in NYC
World AIDS Day: Centering Black & Marginalized Voices in the Fight to End HIV/AIDS
Wednesday, December 3 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10027
Following the event, MOBI will be hosting the social mixer at 4West Lounge, 303 W 127th St, New York, NY 10027, from 8 PM – 10 PM.