SisterLove – L to R: Tamika English; Sybil Miller; Dazon Dixon, founder and president; Trinity Stockman; and Gaea Daniel, Ph.D., RN, Emory University School of Nursing (Photo by Tigner for rolling out)
In 1989, Dazon Dixon Diallo recognized a growing need in the African American community for health care services. As HIV decimated the lives of loved ones, friends, and family, there were many who still insisted on believing that it only targeted a particular demographic. Stigma prevented people from seeking the support and treatment that they needed. In communities already denied access to affordable, quality health care services, the impact was even greater. The launch of SisterLove Inc. at that critical juncture, provided the resources and support for women’s HIV, sexual and reproductive justice.
On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, Sister Love gathered the community together to reflect on the more than 40.1 million people who have died from HIV/AIDS. Board president Cedric Pulliam, Ph.D., and supporter Dwight Eubanks praised the outstanding team and initiatives of SisterLove. Nestled in the heart of southwest Atlanta, in one of the oldest Black communities, they have purchased a health center that will extend their services. Councilwoman Andrea Boone presented a proclamation from the city of Atlanta in recognition of the work Sister Love does not only for the citizens of Atlanta, but also those impacted across the region and globally.
This was also a day of celebration because a new super weapon was unveiled. “The Love Bus is a preventive mobile health unit. It is meant to meet people where they are, but also where they want to be,” shared Diallo.
The vision of the Love Bus evolved over the years. During COVID, Gaea Daniel took on the challenge when she was asked to develop a project through the Direct Relief Fund for Health Equity. The bus will hit the streets during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Diallo stressed that Black Americans must not wait for others to save us, “Our own solutions, come from our own people,” she said.
