ROLE Models Project

ROLE Models Project Reach! Organize!! Learn!!! Empower!!!!

R.O.L.E Models will use fashion as a tool for health promotion to influence holistic health equity and primarily (but not limited to) HIV awareness and advocacy among the black community.

09/28/2026

As we watch a new generation step into the world of Hillman, it’s worth remembering that A Different World was always about more than college life, friendships, fashion, and culture. The series wasn’t afraid to use its platform to tackle real issues impacting Black communities!!

One of its most memorable moments came when Josie courageously revealed that she was living with HIV during a public speaking class!

At a time when HIV was heavily surrounded by fear, misinformation, and stigma, A Different World helped bring an important conversation into living rooms across America.

That episode demonstrated something we still know to be true today:

Our stories have power!

Storytelling can educate!
Storytelling can humanize!
Storytelling can challenge stigma!
Storytelling can influence communities!
And storytelling can inspire action!

More than three decades later, HIV remains an important conversation in Black communities. While prevention, testing, treatment, and our understanding of HIV have advanced tremendously, eliminating stigma and ensuring people have access to accurate information and care remain essential.

So, as we return to Hillman and celebrate what this next chapter of A Different World represents, let’s also honor the legacy of a show that understood the influence and impact of telling our stories even when those stories were difficult to tell.

From one generation to the next, may we continue creating spaces where people feel empowered to speak, learn, get tested, know their status, access prevention and treatment, and live fully without shame or stigma.


The Center for Black Health & Equity
ROLE Models Project

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to talk about HIV with honesty, without stigma, and without ...
09/27/2026

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to talk about HIV with honesty, without stigma, and without reducing people to a diagnosis.

For gay men, HIV awareness is about more than testing and treatment. It is also about access to care, relationships, intimacy, community, and creating spaces where people can talk openly about their health without judgment.

Awareness means making room for the full range of experiences around HIV and sexual health, and having conversations rooted in understanding, not assumptions.

September 18, we recognize National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD)Thanks to tremendous advances in HIV treatme...
09/19/2026

September 18, we recognize National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD)

Thanks to tremendous advances in HIV treatment, people with HIV are living longer, healthier, and fuller lives. Today is also an important reminder that aging with HIV brings unique health and social needs and that HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and compassionate care remain important at every age.

More than half of people living with diagnosed HIV in the United States and dependent areas are age 50 and older. Age should never be a barrier to conversations about sexual health, HIV testing, prevention, or care.

Start the conversation!! Know your HIV status!! Encourage someone you love to get tested!! Learn about prevention options such as PrEP, and help ensure older adults living with HIV have access to affirming, comprehensive care and support!

We can end HIV stigma and we can make sure no generation is left behind.

September is recognized as Su***de Prevention Month in the United States and September 10th is World Su***de Prevention ...
09/16/2026

September is recognized as Su***de Prevention Month in the United States and September 10th is World Su***de Prevention Day!!

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply start the conversation. Check on your people. Listen without judgment. Lead with compassion. Remind someone that they are seen, valued, loved, and never alone.

Su***de prevention is more than awareness, it’s about creating communities where people feel safe enough to speak up, supported enough to seek help, and hopeful enough to keep going.

A conversation can create connection!! Connection can create hope!! And hope can save a life!!

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to connect with the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.

***dePreventionDay ***dePrevention

Today is National Voter Registration Day, a reminder to make sure your voter registration information is accurate and up...
09/15/2026

Today is National Voter Registration Day, a reminder to make sure your voter registration information is accurate and up to date!

Whether you’ve recently moved, changed your name, need to update your information, or simply want to confirm your registration status, take a few minutes today to check.

Voting begins with being prepared. Know your registration status, learn about upcoming election dates, and understand the voting options available where you live.

•Check your voter registration status
•Update your information if needed
•Review important election dates and requirements
•Share reliable voter registration resources with your community

Your voice! Your choice! Your vote! Be informed! Be prepared!

Today, we recognize National Faith HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NFHAAD),a reminder of the powerful role faith communities c...
08/31/2026

Today, we recognize National Faith HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NFHAAD),a reminder of the powerful role faith communities can play in ending the HIV epidemic.

Faith communities have long been places of hope, healing, support, and connection. Today is an opportunity to strengthen that legacy by promoting HIV education, prevention, testing, treatment, and compassionate care while challenging the stigma and discrimination that too often prevent people from seeking the support they deserve.

Our faith should move us beyond awareness and into action, advocacy, and love. That means having honest conversations about HIV, supporting people living with HIV, connecting our communities to resources, and advocating for continued investments in prevention, treatment, and care.

There is room at the table and in our places of worship for everyone

Faith. Education. Compassion. Action. Together, we can help end HIV stigma and move closer to ending the HIV epidemic.

On August 20, we recognize Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (SHAAD), a day to bring attention to the disproportionate imp...
08/31/2026

On August 20, we recognize Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (SHAAD), a day to bring attention to the disproportionate impact of HIV across the Southern United States and recommit ourselves to changing the story.

The South continues to account for more than half of new HIV diagnoses in the US, with Black communities and other historically underserved populations carrying a disproportionate burden. These disparities are not simply about individual choices, they are shaped by barriers to healthcare, stigma, systemic inequities, geography, and access to prevention and treatment.

Ending the HIV epidemic in the South requires us to educate, advocate, test, prevent, treat, and fight stigma together.

Know your status!! Talk openly about HIV!! Expand access to PrEP and other prevention options. Support people living with HIV. And continue advocating for communities that deserve equitable access to quality, affirming healthcare!

Awareness must lead to ACTION!!

Together, we can change the trajectory of HIV in the South!!

We recognize National HIV Testing Day, a reminder that taking charge of your health begins with knowing your status. Kno...
06/29/2026

We recognize National HIV Testing Day, a reminder that taking charge of your health begins with knowing your status. Knowledge is power, and an HIV test is one of the most important steps you can take for yourself and your community!

For Black communities, HIV continues to disproportionately impact our families, friends, and neighborhoods. Regular testing helps break stigma, promotes early diagnosis, and connects individuals to the care, treatment, and prevention resources they need to thrive!

An HIV test is the gateway to staying healthy regardless of the result. If your test is negative, you can learn about prevention options such as PrEP. If your test is positive, early treatment can help you live a long, healthy, and fulfilling life while reducing transmission!

Let us normalize conversations about sexual health, challenge stigma, and encourage one another to prioritize wellness. Getting tested is an act of self care, self love, and community responsibility!

Call to Action:
Take the next step today. Find a testing location near you, get tested, and encourage a friend, partner, or family member to do the same. Together, we can build healthier Black communities and move closer to ending the HIV epidemic.

Honoring Juneteenth: A Legacy of Freedom and Resilience 🖤❤️💚We commemorate Juneteenth, the day freedom finally reached t...
06/21/2026

Honoring Juneteenth: A Legacy of Freedom and Resilience 🖤❤️💚

We commemorate Juneteenth, the day freedom finally reached the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Juneteenth is more than a celebration of emancipation; it is a reminder that progress in America has never been automatic. Every advancement toward equality has required courage, sacrifice, advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

As we reflect on this historic milestone, we must also recognize the challenges of our present moment. Across the nation, we continue to witness efforts to restrict conversations about race, dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, roll back civil rights protections, and erase uncomfortable truths from our collective history. These realities remind us that the struggle for freedom did not end in 1865, nor did it end with the victories of the Civil Rights Movement.

In today’s political climate, honoring Juneteenth requires more than remembrance. It requires vigilance. It calls us to defend democratic values, protect hard-fought gains, confront systemic inequities, and ensure that future generations inherit a nation that moves closer to its promise of liberty and justice for all!

We honor the resilience of our ancestors not only by celebrating how far we have come, but by continuing the work they began. Freedom delayed was not freedom denied and neither will our pursuit of justice be.

May we remain committed to truth, equity, opportunity, and the belief that a brighter future is possible when we have the courage to build it together.

✊🏾

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a reminder that our mental well-being is just as important as our physical health....
05/31/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a reminder that our mental well-being is just as important as our physical health. This year’s theme, More Good Days, Together, encourages us to reflect on what helps us thrive, heal, and find balance while recognizing the power of community support in creating healthier lives for everyone.

For Black communities, conversations around mental health are especially important. Generational trauma, systemic inequities, discrimination, financial stress, grief, and the pressure to constantly persevere often impact our mental and emotional well-being. Yet stigma continues to prevent many from seeking help, accessing resources, or openly discussing their struggles. Prioritizing mental health is not a sign of weakness; it is an act of self-care, self-preservation, and empowerment.

This month, let us commit to checking in on ourselves and one another, extending grace, creating safe spaces for honest conversations, and connecting people to the support they deserve. Whether through therapy, faith, community, rest, movement, or meaningful relationships, every step toward wellness matters.

Take a moment today to check on a friend, family member, colleague, or even yourself. Start the conversation. Share resources. Seek support if you need it. Together, we can reduce stigma, promote healing, and create more good days for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

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