Oprah Winfrey Network - O.W.N.

African Americans have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS since the epidemic’s beginning, and that disparity has deepened over time. African Americans account for more AIDS diagnoses, people estimated to be living with AIDS, and HIV-related deaths than any other racial/ethnic group in the U.S. The epidemic has also had a disproportionate impact on subgroups of African Americans including women, youth, and men who have sex with men, and its impact varies across the country. Moreover, African Americans with HIV/AIDS may face greater barriers to accessing care than their white counterparts.

Oprah Winfrey & the Oprah Winfrey Network focus on encouraging people around the world to live their “Own Best Life” (with vision & focus)) while simultaneously making a difference in the lives of underprivileged others.

Through Oprah's involvement with the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, the tiny town ofWilliamson, West Virginia, and the “A Secret Sex World: Living on the Downlow” segment, Oprah Winfrey, has both removed stigmas & flattened ignorance associated with the AIDS Pandemic.

In June 2012, I, Tony Eason, (and 2,500 of my best friends) will cycle 575 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the fight against the AIDS Pandemic. And as we ride past Montecito, I invite Oprah Winfrey & the Oprah Winfrey Network to participate (in any way that they can).

The presence of Oprah Winfrey at the AIDSLifecycle 2012 Closing Ceremonies would not only fuel the hearts of the 2,500 cycling philanthropists & 400 volunteer crew members - it would present a platform to continue promoting self empowerment; flattening ignorance; and providing education as a prominent African American Woman in the African American Community,

AIDS/LifeCycle is co-produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and is designed to advance their shared interests to end the pandemic and human suffering caused by AIDS.

I know:

1. It takes a village to raise a child,
2. You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.
3. The best way to teach is by example.

And as I prepare & train for my 15th Journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I know I’m doing the right thing.

View AIDSLifeCycle in a larger map

"Today humankind has the potential to turn this planet into a paradise and live in beauty, just as it has the potential to destory itself, the Earth and all living things. At stake in this game is our own individual existence, and the existence of humankind as a whole." - - On the Warriors Path by Daniele Bolelli

• Check out the Tony Eason story: http://ynottony.com/newsletter.htm
• Check out the Oprah Winfrey Network - O.W.N. - Fans Photos:http://ynottony.com/oprah.php