Advancing the rights of all people living with HIV and AIDS is a racial and gender justice issue. Research clearly demonstrates the racial and gender-based disparities in rates of infection and access to care. The rate of new HIV infections in African Americans is 8 times that of whites based on population size¹, for Black women are 20 times higher and for Latinas 4 times higher than white women.² For gay Black men, especially youth, HIV rates are on the rise as rates fall among other communities. In 2010, gay Black men were “retained in care” in 24% of cases, while gay white men 84% were retained in care.³ American Indians/Alaskan Natives are 1.6 times as likely to have AIDS than whites, while Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders are 2.6 times as likely to be diagnosed with HIV infections as whites.⁴ For people of color living with HIV, racial discrimination also affects the quality of and access to medical care and other necessary social services needed for treatment and prevention.⁵

Among the many racial and gender justice leaders who are focused on HIV and AIDS, there are intersecting issues such as housing insecurity, stigma and discrimination, the criminal justice system and a lack of legal representation that continue to impact these communities, but few resources to support these leaders to come together to build relationships, share strategy and strengthen the movement to end HIV and AIDS, with a specific focus on communities of color.

The Fellowship for Racial and Gender Justice Leaders in the HIV/AIDS Movement convenes national leaders engaged in this critical intersection. Through the Fellowship, leaders will have an opportunity to strengthen their own individual leadership and build strong partnerships to catalyze new thinking and collaborative strategies in the movement.

The Fellowship provides leaders with tools to:

• Deal more effectively with leadership and organizational challenges
• Create and sustain compelling visions for their organizations
• Engage in a learning community of leaders working in the HIV and AIDS movement with a racial and gender justice lens

The Program

This six-month intensive leadership program is designed to teach powerful visioning, listening, communication, coaching, team-building and feedback skills to leaders engaged in services, advocacy, and organizing to racial and gender justice leaders in the HIV/AIDS movement. The program includes two 5-day residential retreats, peer coaching sessions, and additional leadership support.

You can read more about the fellows from the following link:

2015 Racial and Gender Justice Leaders in the HIV/AIDS Movement

Training Sessions

Session One: Art of Leadership

The Art of Leadership is an intensive retreat workshop in which participants will hone skills related to articulating vision, managing difficult conversations, and identifying personal leadership strengths and challenges. Each participant receives a 360-degree leadership evaluation from peers.

To launch the program, Fellows will attend Rockwood’s Art of Leadership in smaller “sub-cohorts” of 4-8 leaders from March to June 2015. In the Art of Leadership, these sub-cohorts will be joined by participants who have applied to the training separately from the Fellowship. This will include activists, organizers, program directors and other nonprofit leaders who are working in environmental organizations, labor unions, community groups and many other diverse sectors.

Applicants will be asked to state their first, second, and third choice among the following Art of Leadership dates. If selected, the Fellow will be enrolled in an Art of Leadership based on their expressed preference.

• March 23-27, 2015, Westerbeke Ranch, Sonoma, CA
• April 13-17, 2015, Garrison Institute, Garrison, NY
• April 27-May 1, 2015, Westerbeke Ranch, Sonoma, CA
• June 1-5, 2015, Garrison Institute, Garrison, NY

Session Two: October 26-30, 2015, Edith Macy Conference Center, Briarcliff Manor, NY

The second Fellowship retreat builds off the tools and experience of the Art of Leadership, and fosters more opportunities for field dialogue. It is designed for leaders to enhance their skills in areas of both leadership and collaboration, including an examination of power (personal, positional and institutional), strategy and performance, and personal and organizational sustainability.

Peer Coaching

Coaching is both an important leadership skill, and a resource for social change leaders. During the Fellowship, leaders will be partnered with two other Fellows to engage in a peer coaching relationship over the course of the program.

Leadership Practices and Additional Leadership Resources

To reinforce the tools of the Fellowship Program, Rockwood provides leadership practice “assignments,” and course materials about leadership, partnership and organizations.

Key Skills

• Deal more effectively with leadership challenges
• Manage relationships to increase personal and organizational effectiveness
• Sharpen and sustain compelling visions for your work
• Inspire and align others to work effectively towards common goals
• Increase sustainability and engage with tools to prevent burnout
• Build partnerships inside and outside your organization

Fellow Criteria

The ideal candidates for Rockwood’s Fellowship for Racial and Gender Justice Leaders in the HIV/AIDS Movement:

• Actively participate in the movement to end HIV and AIDS with a racial and gender justice lens
• Play a leadership role as the executive director or senior leader within their organization.
• Are committed to building partnership and collaboration with other leaders within the movement.
• Possess a personal/professional readiness to learn new leadership skills.
• Represent a diversity of ethnic, sexual, gender identities and geographies across the United States.
• Commit to full participation in the program, including attendance at two retreats, completing required pre-work and engaging in peer coaching.