Black Brothers Esteem
Fighting HIV in African American Community

Because African American gay, bisexual, and same gender-loving men are at a disproportionately high risk for HIV infection, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation offers Black Brothers Esteem (BBE), a prevention and support program designed to empower men who predominantly live in the Tenderloin/Polk Gulch and Sixth Street Corridor sections of San Francisco. These men struggle not only with issues related to HIV, but also with racism, addiction, poverty, homophobia, violence, and marginal housing conditions.

BBE recently celebrated its 11th year, providing support, community building and leadership-training for African American gay, bisexual, and same-gender-loving men in the Tenderloin. Given that as much as 50% of urban African American MSMs currently live with HIV - many undiagnosed - the importance of BBE simply cannot be overstated.

Facilitated by AIDS Foundation staff, BBE core group members design activities and events to provide a place for African American gay, bisexual, and same gender-loving men to gather and gain support from one another. The goal of the program is to provide education, skills building, and enhanced social connection in order to diminish sexual risk-taking.

Program components include weekly on-going drop-in group--Phoenix Rising--for HIV-negative and HIV-positive men that addresses the emotional impact of HIV as well as recovery issues. Men in the drop-in group set their own agenda and provide peer support for the challenges they are currently facing, multiple-session workshops, tackling issues such as safer sex negotiation, behavior change, and improving health and quality of life, social events, leadership training and community development projects for men who wish to have a greater impact on their local community.

Phoenix Rising drop-in group Wednesdays, 4-6pm Colors of Recovery support group, contact Raven Mahosadha for more information rmahosadha@sfaf.org, 487-3091. sfaf.org/bbe