DELTA PHI UPSILON FRATERNITY®, INCORPORATED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Darryl Wilson, Jr. Executive Director Office: 713-800-0802 Cell: 832-654-3605 execdir@dphiu.org Email:
DELTA PHI UPSILON FRATERNITY ANNOUNCES AFFILIATION WITH BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE
Houston, TX – 1/14/2011 – Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity, Inc., (DPhiU) is pleased to announce that it has secured an affiliation agreement with the Black AIDS Institute (The Institute) in order to explore avenues for taking a leading role in the prevention of HIV/AIDS among African Americans. This affiliation will focus on efforts related to the expansion of HIV awareness under the banner of the Greater Than AIDS campaign and HIV testing through the Test 1 Million campaign. Specifically, this partnership will enable DPhiU and The Institute to:
Increase African American awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS; Increase the number of African Americans who have been tested for HIV/AIDS and thereby know their HIV status; Increase the number of HIV positive African Americans that are in appropriate care and treatment; Reduce the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in the Black community; Motivate African Americans to adopt positive health behaviors and actions that can reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence experienced by this population; Provide a platform for the exchange of information, ideas and commentary designed to increase African American understanding of HIV/AIDS in the Black community
DPhiU National President Larrel A. Green expressed his excitement at the fraternity achieving affiliation status, commenting that “this affiliation is in line with our organization’s core purpose of supporting a progressive interest in the welfare of gay men of color. With our community so severely impacted by not only the disease itself, but also the stigma associated with it, it is imperative that we seek out those national organizations that can assist us in reaching those affected.” According to statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African Americans face the most severe burden of HIV in the United States (US), with blacks accounting for almost half (46%) of people living with a diagnosis of HIV infection. For more information, visit. www.cdc.gov/hiv. President Green announced the affiliation agreement to the membership of Delta Phi Upsilon to coincide with the fraternity’s celebration of its 26-year anniversary and the launching of its new National Program, which includes initiatives in Health Awareness, Education, Political Empowerment, History & Heritage and Global Awareness.
About the Black AIDS Institute Founded in 1999, The Black AIDS Institute (The Institute), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, is the only national HIV/AIDS Think Tank in the United States focused exclusively on Black people. The Institute's mission is to end the AIDS epidemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing traditional Black leaders, institutions and individuals in efforts to confront HIV/AIDS. The Institute offers training and capacity building, disseminates information, interprets and recommends private and public sector HIV policies, and provides advocacy and mobilization from a uniquely and unapologetically Black point of view. For more information, visit www.blackaids.org. About Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity, Incorporated (DPhiU) is a national service organization that was founded on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL in 1985. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by gay men of color. It is comprised of 300+ members in city chapters in five regions across the United States. Its membership includes gay men who exemplify its motto of “Service to our Kind,” through academic excellence, certified leadership skills, and who are consistently involved in creating change in the global community through the programs of service embodied in the fraternity’s national program goals. Through its core mission, Delta Phi Upsilon has dedicated itself to improving the quality of life for its members and those it serves. The organization is led by its 5th National President Larrel A. Green of Houston, TX, whose administration's programmatic theme is “The H.E.A.R.T of Delta Phi Upsilon.” For more information about Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity, Inc., log on to www.dphiu.org.
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