Our Shero of the Month for February 2018 is Sarah Jackson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to PWN-USA Organizing Director Waheedah Shabazz-El, who nominated Sarah for this honor, “Sarah has faced lots of personal struggles over the past two years, but she has not wavered in her responsibility as a co-chair of the PWN-USA Louisiana chapter. Sarah speaks volumes about leadership and integrity when she declares, ‘No matter what happens with our chapter, I am staying. Our capacity may go up and down, but I am staying! I’m always going to be here.'”
When asked what gives her the motivation and drive to continue in her advocacy and leadership despite personal challenges, Sarah said, “I prayed hard and asked God for guidance. [I’m driven by] sheer determination. You can’t give up at the first thing that goes wrong. You have to keep pushing forward. After all that has happened, I still can’t give up.”
What has she learned in her years of advocacy and as co-chair of PWN-USA Louisiana? “All people living with HIV are important. We are important people. We are the ones that know how the medicines work with our bodies. That’s why I advocate to help people understand about HIV transmission, prevention and everything, to teach them that it’s not a death sentence. You can live with it.”
Her advice for a woman recently diagnosed with HIV? “Get into treatment! Wherever you are. Seek out who offers HIV treatment and start your treatment. Ask God for guidance. That’s what I had to do. I had nobody to talk to when I was diagnosed. My mom had Alzheimer’s and didn’t know who I was. I told my sister, but she had cancer and she was dying. If you have a close-knit family it’s good, but find somebody you can talk to. You can’t hold it in. You have too many mixed feelings to deal with by yourself. You need to pull other women in. Let them know. Be a friend. A simple conversation, you’d be surprised–a simple conversation can lead to great things.”
Know a potential PWN-USA Shero of the Month? Nominate them here!