I’m not much of an expert on many of the issues here, Elwood, but I have researched the high rates of new HIV infections among Black Americans, which are particularly high in the South.

Access to testing and treatment is unequal and is racist. Disproportionate numbers of Black Americans are routinely excluded from quality health care for reasons that stem directly from systemic racism — that is to say, directly from the legacy of chattel slavery.

Reparations? Of course!

But not only that. We have to root out the problem. We have to face up to the fact that Black people are contracting HIV because of racism, because access to health care is unequal and is based on racism.

And you know what? Every American pays a high cost for the continuing HIV epidemic. We ALL stand to benefit from fixing the problem.