February 16, 2007
REALITY CHECK
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Demonstrators take action in GSK's lobby |
We shall overcome,
we shall over come
We shall overcome someday
Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe,
We shall overcome.
Nearly 30 protestors were humming that civil-rights classic as they peacefully filled the beige lobby of mega-pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK) on a snowy Tuesday during last week's National Conference on African-Americans and AIDS (NCAA) in Philadelphia. Many of the demonstrators were older black women, some of whom didn't let their canes stop them from making the short walk to GSK to find out why it had failed to give dollars supporting the NCAA and had no physical presence, even though its offices are right next door to the conference hotel.
The action was out of character for the ninth installment of the normally sedate NCAA, which is intended to link AIDS service providers with the black community. For several years Housing Works' president and CEO Charles King has been trying spark activism at the gathering. His talk, "The Future of the AIDS Movement, Lessons from New Orleans," given the same day as the action, stressed that like Hurricane Katrina, AIDS is not a natural disaster, but a preventable catastrophe. He demanded a more effective response by our government and issued a call to action from the crowd.
Later that day, before the final session, conference founder and director K. Mary Hess ascended the stage and prompted the audience to join her in telling GSK that the NCAAA's attendees were not cool with GSK dropping the ball, especially after supporting the event for seven years. This year, GSK refused to communicate with Hess, let alone deliver a check.
"A sea of women"
After Hess spoke, a band of protesters followed her down the corridor to GSK and took over its lobby for 40 minutes, humming "We Shall Overcome." "I was inspired by the women who followed me. Heading down an escalator, I looked back and there was a whole sea of women," Hess said, "I was like, Dang! I didn't think anyone was going to come." Hess observes that black women disproportionately bear the burden of HIV/AIDS, which is the leading cause of death among African American women aged 25 to 34.
After hearing about the demo, Peter Hare, a GSK executive, taxied across town from a meeting to save face. He invited a handful of folks upstairs to the GSK offices. Included in the group were Hess; King; Beny Prim, the conference chairman and executive director of Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation; Phil Wilson, executive director of Black AIDS Institute; and Frank Oldham, executive director of National Association of People With AIDS.
The check is in the mail
Hare explained that on their lawyers' advice, GSK had changed grant procedures, prohibiting any communications between GSK and prospective grantees. He promised that a $75,000 check was in the process of being cut and would be delivered imminently. Hare also committed to direct dialogue with the African-American community and asked Hess and Oldham to serve on an informal advisory group to streamline communications.
GSK later reaffirmed its commitment to black health to the Update. "We support a number of African-American organizations including the National Medical Association, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. In the area of HIV, just this January, GSK supported the National AIDS Education and Service for Minorities in their National African American MSM Leadership Conference," a company spokesperson said.
Hess, for one, is not placated. "We embarrassed them this time, but who's to say it's not going to keep happening?" she said. "Grants are reviewed by people who don't have a connection to the community or HIV expertise. There's no way for them to know the significance of the meeting." She chuckled over the fact that last year GSK won an award for Best Ethics out of 250 multinational companies in an analysis by a Swiss company.
King was philosophical. "I couldn't help but be gratified by the action since I had spoken at noon about the need to generate new activism," he said. "This is an important step in that direction."
To get involved with the NCAAA, go to PHIL LINK www.minority-healthcare.com/ncaa_2007/generalinfo.html