AIDS

In 1982 American scientists named the mysterious new illness first seen the year before as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In 1985, African Americans made up a quarter for new AIDS cases. In 1990, a group of Haitian immigrants protested in New York against the racist stereotyping of Haitians as AIDS carriers. In 1994, the statistics of black AIDS cases surpassed that of whites for the first time. In 1995, AIDS became the leading cause of death for all 25 - 44 year old Americans today. There are 33 million people living with HIV worldwide more than a million of them are in the U.S. African Americans make up 12% of the population and account for a significant 49% of HIV cases.