Causecast

Gloria Reuben is a busy woman. When she is not starring in hit television shows or performing as a recording artist, she is raising AIDS awareness.

Last night, Reuben spoke in the Student Center ballroom as part of the AIDS Awareness Week.

Speaking to about 50 people, she said she hoped those in attendance would spread the message she brought.

“The lack of people here is a sign of the apathy around the cause,” she said.

Reuben, who has spent time as a backup singer for Tina Turner and released a solo record, is best known for her role as Jeanie Boulet on “ER,” where she was a staple on the show for its first six seasons. The character was a physician’s assistant who was HIV positive.

She said she was very proud of her role as Boulet, which she described as groundbreaking and ahead of its time.

“I strongly believe we helped viewers gain knowledge of people with HIV,” she said.

There is a “new face” of AIDS, which primarily consists of young black females, Reuben said. This new face harkens back to the issues, which have been around since the issues of AIDS began. Poverty, denial, homophobia, lack of access to proper health care, and poor sex education are many factors, Reuben said.

She was very excited when discussing Barack Obama’s presidential election and the hope it will bring to raising awareness.

“The new Obama administration will hopefully create and implement a national AIDS strategy,” she said. “It is embarrassing we don’t have one.”

She cited the media as a main source of preventing awareness. Along with the media, she said reality television, gossip magazines and hip-hop culture were also to blame.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone on television using a condom or talking about HIV,” she said.

She discussed hip-hop culture and its glorification of men conquering women.

“The message is get as much booty as you can, to prove you are a man,” she said.

Four years ago, Reuben realized she needed to step into a role of bringing awareness when she read that AIDS had become the number one killer of African American women.

“I thought, it has to be another country, but it was right here,” she said. “I knew something had to be done.”

People need to take a stand, mobilize and get tested, she said.

Just talking about the subject openly and honestly is another important factor, Reuben said.

“We can do something every day to inspire someone to take care of their bodies and minds,” she said. “Surely, we can do the same for ourselves.”

As Reuben ended her speech, she became emotional as she said her last remarks before finishing with a quote from Desmond Tutu.

“It’s time for us to recognize our own self worth,” she said, as tears filled her eyes.