In her new documentary Living Proof, actress and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph uses her platform as founder of the DIVA Foundation to shine a light on the fight Black women living with HIV face to find adequate care and community in the American South.
“Living Proof is more than just a title. It’s a testimony,” said Ralph at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival last fall. She’s right. Following the lives of activists Freda Jones and Kennedi Lowman, Living Proof is a reminder that even in the darkest times, the power of community can change lives.
Living With HIV
In 2002, something nudged Jones to get tested for HIV. At the time, she was not experiencing any HIV symptoms and had only been with one partner. Despite resistance from hospital staff, Jones advocated for herself and received a test. When her results came back, they confirmed her biggest fear: she was HIV positive.
In the wake of her diagnosis, Jones experienced confusion, fear, and isolation. SisterLove, a sexual reproductive justice organization, became her biggest source of support and information. After experiencing the impact that an organization like Sisterlove can make, Jones founded LOTUS, a non-profit organization to support women living with HIV.
“The acronym for LOTUS is Loving Ourselves Through Unity and Strength,” says Jones in Living Proof. The group focuses on creating a community where women can learn how to manage their HIV status and create relationships that they can lean on. Today, Jones runs LOTUS with Lowman.
Lowman has been “living and thriving” with HIV for 9 years. Meeting Jones after receiving her diagnosis saved her life.
“Freda was the first HIV peer educator I met when I was newly diagnosed,” Lowman explains. “How she took me up under her wing to make sure that I was educated and not living in isolation anymore was a beautiful blessing.” Inspired by Jones, Lowman decided she wanted to do the same work.
The Bigger Picture
Jones and Lowman’s stories are not uncommon. In the United States, HIV rates for Black women are 11.4 times higher than those of white women.
“We’re slipping in certain populations,” explains Dázon Dixon Diallo, founder of SisterLove. “So whereas white men have achieved a lot of success with prevention, [and] have achieved a lot of success with viral suppression, we have not seen the same across the South, particularly in Black and Latino men who have sex with men, as well as Black cisgender heterosexual women.”
Why are Black men and women suffering disproportionately? Much of it has to do with federal cuts and regulations relating to medical care.
“There’s so much at stake for people living with HIV because around 40% of them get their health insurance through Medicaid,” the documentary explains. The political stance of any current administration heavily affects what care is accessible and available. Additionally, organizations like LOTUS attribute some of the spread and suffering to misinformation and a lack of accessible information. It’s why their work is so important.
Seeking Solutions
LOTUS and SisterLove aim to prevent the spread of HIV and support those who are HIV positive. That starts with access to testing and medications like PrEP.
“PrEP is a prophylactic that we can take that prevents women from getting HIV,” says Jones. The medication is available, but the drug has traditionally been advertised toward white, homosexual men.
“We don’t know about PrEP because commercials and advertisements, it doesn’t look like us, and we don’t know anybody about it, so we’re not going to listen to it. We’re not going to believe it,” Lowman explains.
LOTUS aims to combat this disinformation through its numerous events. Attendees can find free, at-home HIV test kits as well as information on proper treatment and a new network of support.
Living Proof encourages people to get involved in the fight to protect those living with HIV and prevent its spread. Donate to organizations like LOTUS, SisterLove, and the DIVA Foundation doing the work to educate and support people living with HIV. Additionally, contact legislators making decisions about things that affect access to adequate medical care, and volunteer at local community events.
For Jones and Lowman, their HIV status has given their lives purpose instead of taking it away. “HIV opened up my eyes to who I am,” says Jones. “It opened up my eyes that I can turn my pain into power. It opened up my eyes that you can live.”
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