Oni Blackstock, MD MHS
@oniblackstock
Who decides in health? | Health Equity | AI Governance | HIV | Community Participatory Research | Physician | Founder, Health Justice & The Grounded Innovation Lab @akinfe.bsky.social's life partner | she/her(s)/yeye #MedSky #BlackMedSky #QueerSky
𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝐀𝐈) 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐨 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠? 🗣️ Join us next Wednesday, August 12, at 5 p.m. ET. I'll be in conversation with Dr. Elle Lett discussing AI, health equity, and who holds power over these systems. Register: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Final clip/3 #robertrayford #delmardivide #racismasadriverofHIV
👦🏿In these clips, I lift up the story of Robert Rayford, the 16 yo Black teenager from St. Louis, Missouri, who is believed to be the earliest identifiable person with HIV in the US, and whose story what concealed as was the disproportionality of the epidemic on Black Americans from the start./2
🙏🏿It was such an honor to speak alongside colleagues E. Robert Orellano and Thiago Jerahon #AIDS2026 in Rio de Janeiro about racism as a driver of the HIV epidemic and what we can do to dismantle it./1
“As a provider, I have see #PrEP empower Black women to protect their health on their own terms. I know that I am, you are, we are…HIV possible.” #iamhivpossible iamhivpossible.org #BlackWomensHealthImperative
Today, July 21, marks Zero HIV Stigma Day, a day to unite people, communities & entire countries to raise awareness and take action against HIV stigma, which is a barrier to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. To learn more about HIV testing & PrEP, visit iamhivpossible.org. #iamhivpossible
Then, the idea that a single number (IQ) could capture someone's intelligence (which was actually then used to restrict immigration from certain countries and justify forced sterilization). Then, moving to the question of whether machines can think?(Alan Turing) And then on to so-called AI.
Such an honor to celebrate #NationalHIVPreventionDay in the middle of Times Square with dedicated colleagues & advocates. Thank you to @prep4allnow.bsky.social for leading the way, pushing back on federal efforts to cut HIV funding & demanding a world where everyone who needs #PrEP can access it.
🎶 On July 4, 1963, Pres. JFK Jr. announced 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦, the country's highest civilian honor, for her artistry and cultural impact.
🥊 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐉. 𝐉𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲" 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 4, 1910, cemented his role as the first Black World Heavyweight Champion.
📚 The founding of 𝐓𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 (now 𝐓𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲) 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 4, 1881 by Booker T. Washington and Lewis Adams, a formerly enslaved tinsmith and community leaders who could not read or write and who secured the funding for the school.
✨ Sharing a brief interview I did with LA's KNX Radio this week about my op-ed about using AI to screen for intimate partner violence and how this raises issues related to transparency, consent, and survivor autonomy. Listen in below! #PublicVoicesFellow #TheOpEdProject #TechInthePublicInterest
Grateful to contribute my perspective to this @contagionlive.bsky.social article, which weaves together multiple perspectives on where the HIV field currently stands and the work ahead. www.contagionlive.com/view/hiv-202...
...and also about the Black women and femmes who have led the way in holding the AI industry accountable.
...and what participants can do to be informed decision-makers - what questions to ask, etc. 💡One thing that I made sure to share after seeing the documentary, Ghost in the Machine, was to include content on the foundations of AI (i.e., eugenics)...
💻We talked a lot about the basic underlying idea behind most "AI" that is used in health care - math/statistics-based computer programs that surface patterns in data and outputs most likely match based on those patterns; AI in health care...
🗣️ Last week, we had such a generative and engaging discussion on the webinar, #AIDecoded: A Black Health Community Discussion hosted by the National Black Leadership Commission on Health (Black Health) in collaboration with my org, Health Justice. A pic of me and Black Health's CEO Shirley Torho.
Womp, my AC in my living/dining/kitchen area just started making a loud grind noise and started emanating smoke, then went kaput. It was a 21-year-old PTAC unit, so I'm grateful it lasted this long. Got a laugh from this public health message from the Jamaican consulate. #mindyuhself
Today, June 27, is National HIV Testing Day (#NHTD), a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV. Knowing your HIV status helps you choose options to stay healthy. Get access to free mailed HIV self-tests here: together.takemehome.org Learn more here: iamhivpossible.org #iamhivpossible
🗣️Join us to TODAY, Wednesday, 6/24 6:00-7:15 PM EST! Join us for 𝐀𝐈 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐝: 𝐀 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 as we break down what AI is, how it shows up in health, and what Black and Brown communities need to know to protect equity, privacy, and access. 🔗 Register at: bit.ly/bhAIHealth
This past Friday, I spoke at the #SevenDaysinJune vigil at the NYC AIDS Memorial, lifting up the legacy of those who this country tried to erase, but couldn’t, like Katrina Haslip. The same fight is here now with HR1’s devaststing Medicaid cuts - we cannot stay silent. #HealthIsPrimary (2/2)
This past Friday, I spoke at the #SevenDaysinJune vigil at the NYC AIDS Memorial, lifting up the legacy of those who this country tried to erase, but couldn’t, like Katrina Haslip. The same fight is here now with HR1’s devaststing Medicaid cuts - we cannot stay silent. #HealthIsPrimary (1//2)
You may be hearing a lot about Artificial Intelligence (AI) lately and have questions. We also want to hear from YOU! What have you seen or heard? What concerns do you have? What would you like AI to do (or not do) for our community? us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
At the NYC AIDS Memorial with fellow advocates speaking out against Medicaid cuts and the continued threats to HIV funding and ours trans siblings. #healthisprimary #sevendaysofaction
MMWR report June 5 1981 - stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/1261 Dr. Kevin Moseby's article - Two regimes of HIV/AIDS: The MMWR and the socio-political construction of HIV/AIDS as a ‘black disease’ - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Today, June 5th, marks HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day #HLTSAD, a day that honors long-term survivors of HIV and raises awareness about their needs, issues, and journeys. June 5th was chosen because it is the date in 1981 that the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)...
"The situation in Gaza constitutes a complex humanitarian crisis. The right to health- including access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment - remains protected under international human rights law and should be enforced even during armed conflict. By Rafał Majka & Samer Abuzerr
Data is reported only by sex assigned at birth due to this administration's transphobic attempts to erase trans people. So, we have zero situational awareness at a national level about the epidemic among trans people, even though trans people are disproportionately impacted by HIV.
HIV testing rates for people of AAPI descent are lower than those of other racial/ethnic groups; raising awareness is critical to helping to close this gap. #NAPIHAAD 🔗 To learn more about where you can get HIV testing and PrEP, visit iamhivpossible.org.
Today, May 18, is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. This year feels different b/c we were at a critical inflection point with the most promising HIV vaccine research in 40 years when this regime systematically defunded, halted, and canceled the research that could get us there. The work continues. #HVAD