Haitians still fighting HIV stigma in 2010

getthesenets

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Haitian Community Protests DJ

Updated: Tuesday, 21 Dec 2010, 6:53 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 21 Dec 2010, 7:34 AM EST

Members of New York City's Haitian community want a hip-hop disc jockey to be fired for his on-air joke about Haitian women and HIV.

The Daily News reports that Hot 97 host Cipha Sounds said on Friday that "The reason I'm HIV negative is because I don't mess with Haitian girls."

The disc jockey, whose real name is Luis Diaz, has since apologized to his listeners, calling the remark "a stupid, tasteless joke."

A coalition of Haitian community leaders demonstrated outside the station's headquarters on Tuesday to call for Diaz's dismissal.

Diaz is a host on the morning show, "The Cipha Sounds and Rosenberg Show."

Hot 97 management did not return Fox 5's call for comment.


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response from Haitian community in tri state area

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZNJFq3h3Sk&feature=related

For context, here is a link to a "comedian" making the same type of "joke" back in 1986-7 on HBO


YouTube - idiot comedian makes Haiti/aids "joke" in 1987
 

getthesenets

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^^^^

DJ Cipha Sounds was suspended indefinitely



======================================================

Back in 1998....something similar happened...and Haitians had to stand up and demand apology and action.


Haitians criticize `Stella' over reference to AIDS
Published: Monday, Aug. 31, 1998 12:00 a.m. MDT

Associated Press
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Haitians are criticizing the movie romance "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and demanding an apology, saying the film revives the outdated fear that they carry AIDS.

In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration removed Haitians from its official list of high-risk AIDS carriers in 1991.


In the movie, 40-year-old divorcee Stella, played by Angela Bassett, travels to Jamaica and has an affair with a man half her age. When her sisters question her about it afterward, one asks if he used a condom "because those people have a history of AIDS."

The other sister interjects: "No, that's Haiti, Miss Manners."

stellal.jpg


To many Haitian-Americans, that's a painful flashback to the time when the federal government branded them as AIDS carriers and barred them from donating blood.

"Those words have lessened the experience of this movie for me," said Miami-area lawyer Regine Monestime, 27. "They put a cloud of negativity on Haitians and it reconfirms ignorant peoples' myths about Haiti and Haitians."

Haiti was one of the first countries that scientists associated with the virus. In the early 1980s, scientists speculated that New York homosexuals were bringing the virus home with them after vacationing in Haiti.

"It is really an unfortunate thing that this comment brings us back to where we were years ago," said Jocelyn McCalla, executive director of the New-York based National Coalition for Haitian Rights, who took part in the protests of the government ban on Haitian blood donations.

Last week, Haitian-Americans from different backgrounds - college students, lawyers and teachers - gathered in North Miami to call for a national apology from 20th Century Fox, which released the film.

They also agreed to start a petition drive, asking the film studio to remove the scene from releases of the film on video and in foreign markets.

The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Terry McMillan, who co-wrote the screenplay. Neither McMillan nor Fox would comment. The Haitian reference did not appear in the novel.

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the lines WERE removed from the film and the dvd when it was released.
 

getthesenets

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The bottom line is that when any ethnic group or nationality is being maligned, it's up to members of that group to STAND UP for themselves and correct what's being said and educate people.

Nobody else is going to do it for you. Many of my comments on this dr1 board have been directed at challenging and correcting generalizations, stereotypes, falsehoods, and hateful jabs made towards Haitian people.

To anyone who who has complained about any of my comments, reported any of them,etc....I challenge you to question why you saw and read the SAME comments that I took exception to and chose to do and say NOTHING about them, but then get indignant when I am merely standing up for myself and correcting and educating people.

Would you prefer that I just said nothing and continue to allow others to mock and stigmatize my people.
 
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bob saunders

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The bottom line is that when any ethnic group or nationality is being maligned, it's up to members of that group to STAND UP for themselves and correct what's being said and educate people.

Nobody else is going to do it for you. Many of my comments on this dr1 board have been directed at challenging and correcting generalizations, stereotypes, falsehoods, and hateful jabs made towards Haitian people.

To anyone who who has complained about any of my comments, reported any of them,etc....I challenge you to question why you saw and read the SAME comments that I took exception to and chose to do and say NOTHING about them, but then get indignant when I am merely standing up for myself and correcting and educating people.

Would you prefer that I just said nothing and continue to allow others to mock and stigmatize my people.

I 'm sure most people don't have any problems with your comments, but remember this is a Dominican Centric site, and many people make just as many comments about Dominican women...etc, perhaps you as a Haitian American have made many comments mocking others.
 

greydread

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This "DJ Cipha Sounds" is an idiot. When idiots try to amuse they often find something tasteless to blurt out. In truth he was only repeating something he'd heard.

Blame the CDC and the US Media. They had the whole country afraid of Haitians and Green Monkeys. The 1992 CDC retraction was not given anywhere near the media coverage that their initial mis-analysis of AIDS received and many idiots are still walking around in a cloud of ignorance to this day as evidenced by this poor bufoon, "Cypha Sound".
 

getthesenets

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Cipha snuck back on the air Monday morning...


Hot 97 DJ Cipha Sounds Returns to Air Following Suspension - FishbowlNY

person sent me a message to listen on Tuesday..

Melky, Wyclef's sister was a guest on the show and they were talking about the realities and perceptions about HIV...Haitian issues, and the lack of progress in the rebuilding effort...one year after the earthquake.

I couldn't stomach listening to it, but that's what I was told.

Some P.R. (public relations NOT P.uerto R.ican) figured out that having a Haitian woman on the show would be best way to diffuse the controversy.
 

getthesenets

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Nov 4, 2010
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This "DJ Cipha Sounds" is an idiot. When idiots try to amuse they often find something tasteless to blurt out. In truth he was only repeating something he'd heard.

Blame the CDC and the US Media. They had the whole country afraid of Haitians and Green Monkeys. The 1992 CDC retraction was not given anywhere near the media coverage that their initial mis-analysis of AIDS received and many idiots are still walking around in a cloud of ignorance to this day as evidenced by this poor bufoon, "Cypha Sound".

Absolutely agree..especially the "repeating something he heard" part

somebody pointed out a short doc. that Haitian group in Florida put together to put cipha's comments in context of the misinformation that has been put out there in the past.



YouTube - Infringed Documentary