Mandatory HIV testing of mothers and infants in NJ

Last week I had a yearly physical and decided to have every known STD tests I could possibly have done with the blood work I was able to draw. This was my choice, and something I hadn't done in many, many years.

In New Jersey, however, state legislators are planning to pass a bill that will make HIV testing mandatory for all mothers and infants. This is a reproductive issue that should be about choice, but the State plans to force pregnant women to be tested with or without their consent.

What kinds of intervention of care will the State of NJ provide if new mothers find out they are HIV positive? Will this information stall the transmission rates among certain populations who have not adopted safe sexual practices as a defense against the spread of HIV in their communities (fail to use a condom)?

Lexington and E65th Street

The irony of this scenario prompted me to capture it on my cell phone camera as I walked to a doctor's appointment last week.

This presumably homeless man was eating out of the trash on Lexington and E65th Street. The area is home to some of the wealthiest New Yorkers and surrounded by prime real estate.

Okay, so homelessness happens in every section of the City. But, the juxtaposition was a reminder to me that in this country the gap between its poorest members and its richest has widened over the last 27 years.

Killed holding a hairbrush

I'm disturbed over the death of a Bedford-Stuyvesant teen who was killed by police on Monday.

20 bullets.

What police thought was a gun he was carrying turned out to be a hairbrush.

His mother called the police for what was described as a domestic dispute. What kind of message does this send the community, particularly where it involves the death of another Person of Color through excessive force?

Protest on Columbia University campus!

Is all publicity considered good publicity?


Protesters representing an array of perspectives came out this afternoon to protest the visit of the Iranian president to Columbia University campus.


The symbols protesters wore and the banners they carried created some misunderstanding and tensions amongst them.

Meanwhile, helicopters hover overhead, the streets have been closed off and there is excessive security.

Tensions mount in anticipation of Ahmadinejad visit to Columbia University

Here is a snapshot of Columbia University this morning, amid mounting tensions from news crews camped out on street corners, heavy police security, and a plethora of messages about President Ahmadinejad's anticipated visit to campus.

Free the Jena 6

This case tells us of the unfinished legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. Internet social networks have helped to fuel the energy behind this protest.

How the incident has been presented in corporate media