In this episode of "The Other Streets of Philadelphia" we follow Roy Hayes, an advocate for intravenous drug users and people with AIDS. He was a major part of Aids Advocacy groupssuch as Act Up Philadelphia and We the People. We share his words on addiction, police brutality, housing insecurity, activism, and even more. As the title of our podcast suggests, we attempt to put Roy Hayes’ Oral History Testimony that was submitted to the John J Wilcox Jr. Archive into a larger historical context. It is well paired with our Hosts Violet and Fidel, as well as clips from their interview with Archivist John Anderies. Roy Hayes’ oral history, / leads our host on a journey through the historical record surrounding People with Aids, specifically those who contracted the disease due to drug use. Utilizing a variety of sources, stretching from those in recovery, to studies of housing insecurity, our hosts make an attempt to contextualize the experiences of Roy Hayes during the continuing Aids Pandemic.

Timecode Guide:

Introduction Segment 00:00 - 05:27

Host Introduction 05:31 - 08:12

Section One: Roy Hayes 08:13 - 17:31

Segment Two: Policing and Housing Insecurity 17:35 - 23:28

Segment Three: Archival Silence 23:30 - 29:09

Concluding Segment 29:10 - 33:06

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In this episode, “Discrimination, Intersectionality, and Tyrone” of the “Other Streets of Philadelphia”, we will be exploring the intersectionality of being black and gay – and how this left black gay men neglected and far more vulnerable to the disease: HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, we will discuss various impactful black gay organizations that created a welcoming and supportive space for this intersectionality to exist amid what was known as a white man's disease. We highlight how these organizations and resources for minority groups must be further developed and expanded today to continue creating space for black folx that are also in the gay community. Through the eyes of Tyrone Smith, a black and gay activist who was involved and helped up-bring many of the significant organizations we still have today or look back at today, we hear his experience of dealing with intersectionality and his interactions with various people and organizations as well. The AIDS pandemic was an issue that was not addressed, and it still is an issue that is still not fully understood or acknowledged – so tune in and hopefully, we can change that.

Timecode Summary:

[00:00] Host Segment

[03:23] Intersectionality, Black gay AIDs orgs, expansion of organizations today

[06:56] Artistic Poem

[08:20] The Difference Between Being Gay and “In the Life”/Spatial Segregation

[13:03] Black Gay AIDS organizations

[16:55] We the People and Unity, Inc.

[20:34] The Continuing Epidemic

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Join Yani and Gab as they explore the life and activism of Tyrone Smith, a Black gay AIDS activist who helped organize AIDS service organizations and programs targeted Black queer community members.

In this episode of The Other Streets of Philadelphia: The Early AIDS Crisis in the City of Brotherly Love, we examine the oral history of Anna Forbes, a feminist AIDS activist in Philadelphia, and call on a number of experts on AIDS history. In the early stages of the AIDS pandemic, women were generally excluded from all things AIDS-related: in medical studies, in activist efforts, in the ease of accessing services, and even in the definition of those AIDS affected. However, Anna Forbes and many other women were also expected to be the glue holding communities together in the wake of the pandemic by caretaking and educating. How did women fight to contribute in the ways they desired during the AIDS pandemic in Philadelphia despite facing various forms of exclusion?

Timecode guide:

Pre-Segment (0:00 - 4:04) : Zack and Violet dialogue tying Philadelphia to the theme of the podcast

Segment 1 (4:05 - 7:51) : Introduction with Anna’s poem, her hesitancy in entering HIV/AIDS work, and an ACT UP song

Segment 2 (7:52 - 11:27) : Anna and Planned Parenthood, early free clinics in the AIDS crisis, and Prevention Point

Segment 3 (11:28 - 18:26) : Re-defining HIV/AIDS definition for women with the voice of Dan Royles and women being seen as vessels and vectors

Segment 4 (18:27 - 25:07) : The toll of AIDS work and burnout and the other factors of power at play

Segment 5 (25:08 - 29:19) : Sex workers activism and conclusion

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Join Will, Brooke, Zack, and Victoria as they explore the life and activism of Anna Forbes, a feminist AIDS activist who helped care and advocate for people with AIDS and for communities vulnerable to its transmission.

In this episode of “The Other Streets of Philadelphia,” our hosts delve into the life of Jim Littrell while discussing racism in the leadership and volunteers of early AIDS task forces answering the question, “How did white gay men deal with the issue of race during the AIDS epidemic?” They discuss the early life of Littrell and how he became the director of the Philadelphia AIDS Task Force and later ACTION AIDS. Our hosts discuss the tensions that grew amongst organizers due to the racial makeup of leadership and the actions of some of the white gay volunteers. They then discuss the actions and leadership of ACT UP in comparison to early task forces and the importance of looking at the full picture before making conclusions about a single organization or person while analyzing history.

Timecode Guide:

Host Segment (00:00)

Introduction (06:41)

Jim’s Early Life (08:30)

Tensions (14:38)

ACT UP (21:16)

Anti-racism (32:08)

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Join Ezra, Liz, Lucy, and Nadia as they explore the life and activism of Jim Littrell, a white gay Episcopalian minister who help found Action AIDS, a major AIDS service organization in Philadelphia.

Rashidah Hassan Abdul Khabeer was working as a nurse when she came across her first AIDS patient. Overwhelmed with the responsibility of explaining this new, deadly virus to unsuspecting patients who were unaware of the course of the disease, she began to speak out and educate about AIDS. Rashidah knew most people dying from AIDS were from Black and other minority communities and knew they needed a strong voice. Before exploring Rashidah’s activism, this episode gives context to Rashidah’s work by looking at common news clips during the time. These news clips show listeners how the disease was portrayed. Often this included misunderstandings about the virus, who could be affected, and how it was transmitted. Not only was media affecting how AIDS was being represented, but President Reagan was also greatly changing how the response to this disease was being taken care of. This context is important to understanding why Rashidah felt the need to do the work she did. She knew she has to change the narrative that was being told and make sure the communities that were being affected the most would be known.

Rashidah’s activism stems in part from her religion. Being Muslim, the connection to the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, and the civil right movement inspired her to start work in public health. She states that the opportunities provided by the civil rights movement was partially what enabled her to go to nursing school. Rashidah Hassan started off as a nurse working in a hospital helping AIDS patients and working within the infection control unit. From her experience as a nurse, and what she saw during the AIDS crisis, she knew that work had to be done to educate the public on the AIDS virus and to improve the experience of AIDS patients in medical facilities. After creating manuals for hospitals which outlined the proper ways to deal with AIDS patients, Rashida decided to take on activism in order to focus her efforts where she saw fit. She worked with several organizations advocating for the African American community in particular. Right form her nursing career she worked with the Philadelphia AIDS task force. Soon after she publicly resigned and she went on to create her own organization, BEBASHI (Blacks Teaching Blacks About Sexual Health Issues) where she aimed to spread information on AIDS and other sexual health topics throughout the black community. Dan Royles, who wrote about Rashidah in his book To Make the Wounded Whole: The African American Struggle Against HIB/AIDS, speaks about Rashidah and how BEBASHI stood out early on. Rashidah’s work not only aided those who needed support and medical care, but it was the first organization of its kind, and helped make way for other similar organizations. Rashidah’s work differed from other activists, but each had their own personal issue and community that they wanted to help. Rashidah’s work was made successful by her outgoing personality which she often showed off in order to bring attention to the education that she was providing. Rashidah’s brave strides during her time as an activist paved the way for many other organizations that aimed to help mainly communities of color who, despite being disproportionally affected by AIDS, were not receiving proper treatment.

Timecode Guide:

Podcast Host Introduction: [00:00:00 – 00:05:50]

Introduction: [00:06:10 – 00:09:35]

Historical Context: [00:09:47 – 00:14:26]

Rashidah’s Early Career: [00:14:44 – 00:20:12]

Early Days of BEBASHI: [00:20:22 – 00:25:12]

Rashidah’s Impact: [00:25:30 – 00:31:10]

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Join Aliya, Kaya, Jolie, and Madalyn as they explore the life and activism of Rashida Hassan Abdul-Khabeer, a Black muslim activist in Philadelphia who founded BEBASHI, the nation's first Black AIDS service organization.

Join Professor Nic John Ramos and his History of the AIDS Pandemic class as they explore "The Other Streets of Philadelphia: The early AIDS Crisis in the City of Brotherly Love." The series explores the HIV/AIDS pandemic from the perspective of people of color, gay people, feminists, and IV-Drug advocates.