10 Things To Know About BAI

1. Founded in May 1999 by influential AIDS activist Phill Wilson, BAI has been leading the fight to end HIV in Black America for more than two decades.
2. BAI is our nation’s only uniquely and unapologetically Black “think and do” tank.
3. BAI is powered by two decades of grassroots advocacy to create awareness about how HIV/AIDS impacts Black Americans more than any other racial group in the U.S.
4. BAI provides a full spectrum of HIV resources: prevention and care health services in the Los Angeles area, as well as training and capacity building programs and campaigns all over the U.S.
5. BAI is led and managed by people who represent the issues we serve. We source our capacity building, mobilization, policy, and advocacy efforts from Black leaders and communities across the country. 
6. BAI acknowledges that HIV in Black America is an outcome of racial justice issues. We are committed to exposing the systems and roots of oppression used to marginalize Black people in the U.S. and beyond. 
7. Since BAI has a deep understanding that health justice is racial justice, we make it a priority to address the social determinants of health. Most importantly, we dig deep to understand how unlearning isms and phobias contribute to decreased health disparities amongst Black people, increased ability for health service providers, and encourage institutions to address Black people holistically.  
8. BAI is revolutionizing the HIV service industry to center and uplift Black experiences to allow Black people to live their fullest, healthiest lives with dignity, care, and respect.
9. When BAI was first founded, it’s original name was the African American AIDS Policy Training Institute. 
10. In 2019, BAI announced Raniyah Copeland as the new President and CEO, taking over from BAI’s Founder and lifelong HIV activist, Phill Wilson. 

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