Dennis Levy

Dennis Levy
Born Dennis Wayne Levy
(1948-12-26) December 26, 1948
Wyoming, Ohio
Nationality African American
Occupation Founder, Chief Executive Officer
Years active 15
Spouse(s) 1
Children 2

Dennis Levy (born December 26, 1948) is a African-American community organizer and public health activist living with HIV/AIDS.[1] He is also a long-term nonprogressor diagnosed in 1992. Levy is the CEO and founder of Black and Latino AIDS Coalition, Inc (Blac)[2] Blac NY is a community-based AIDS advocacy organization. It advocates on behalf of Black and Latino people with AIDS and their families and works for prevention of HIV and AIDS. In 1998, Levy helped pass HIV Reporting and Partner Notification. It was the most controversial HIV legislation in New York State history . The legislation changed the way New York State tracked new HIV and AIDS cases i.e. Partner Notification. Prior to the legislation, the federal government's Ryan White Program allocated money based on the proportion of patients with AIDS in each region. The highest number of AIDS cases was in New York City among white gay men. Consequently, the white gay population received the most money. The new legislation changed this allocation to give more funding to people who were newly diagnosed with HIV infection. A majority of people with HIV diagnoses were black and Latino heterosexuals. Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn sponsored a Bill that required people infected with HIV to notify their sexual partners.[3] The 'Black and Latino AIDS Coalition' was the only AIDS organization in New York State to support Assemblywoman Mayersohn's bill. Levy engaged in heated debates raging in the HIV community concerning the need for establishing a system of tracking HIV infection.

Early life and career

Dennis Levy, Rick Levy, and his brother Harry Levy founded the Black and Latino AIDS Coalition, Inc (Blac NY)[4] It was one of the nation's first AIDS organization for heterosexual black and Latino people living with AIDS. Blac NY was modeled after the national direct action advocacy group ACT UP and received financial assistance and technical help from 'Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). Under Levy's leadership, Blac NY educated thousands of black and Latino heterosexuals about AIDS. He helped turn public attention to the crisis by writing about 'AIDS IN THE HOOD'.[5][6][7] Levy challenged the mainstream AIDS establishment on the hot button issue of 'mandatory reporting' and 'partner notification'.[8]

Public works

Dennis Levy was part of the changing face of AIDS. He was a heterosexual African American man.[9][10] African American Heterosexual men and women represented one of the largest and fastest growing populations in new AIDS cases.[11] Levy addressed the homophobic fears of African American heterosexual men.[12] Blac NY worked to get the help of black and Latino churches in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The effort ultimately resulted in over 30 national HIV/AIDS organizations and leaders joining forces in an urgent call for the development and implementation of a comprehensive National AIDS Strategy.[13] On July 13, 2010 the White House released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).[14] This ambitious plan is the nation's first-ever comprehensive coordinated HIV/AIDS roadmap with clear and measurable targets.

For his AIDS, Levy began a regimen that included an antiviral therapy, but the therapy's side effects included disorientation and nausea and caused pain throughout his body. Nothing he tried reduced the side effects. A friend suggested Levy try smoking marijuana. Levy began smoking marijuana on a regular basis and it helped him with his side effects from AIDS medicines - as well as eliminated the incredible headaches he used to get. He discovered many people used marijuana for similar reasons. There is evidence that medical marijuana works.[15] Levy decided to become an advocate for legal medical marijuana and he founded 'New York State Committee to Legalize Marijuana'.

Later years

Dennis Levy and Rick Levy founded the 'New York State Committee To Legalize Marijuana'.[16] Dennis Levy became President and Rick Levy was Vice President of Social Media.[17] Dennis Levy is the only HIV positive African American President of a legalized marijuana organization in New York State. Levy's daughter Deniece Kinash is the mixed race coordinator. Today, Dennis Levy is one of the most out spoken leaders of the 'New Marijuana Movement'. White people and black people used marijuana in the same amounts. But "Blacks are arrested for marijuana possession at a two and a half times greater rate than whites".[18] Levy says "Marijuana prohibition policy does more harm to our communities than good." Levy has worked with International social and political activist Dana Beal in advocating for legalization of marijuana. Dana Beal is an Honorary member of the 'Committee'. Levy is also a member of the Green Party of New York. Levy ran for the New York State Assembly Seat of convicted speaker Sheldon Silver in the April 19, 2016 special election. Dennis Levy was the Green Party candidate.

In the election, hand picked Democratic candidate Alice Cancel faced Republican Lester Chang, Green Party candidate Dennis Levy and Working Families Party candidate Yuh-Line Niou, who had out raised Cancel overwhelmingly and was seen as a candidate who could make the race close. In surprisingly closely watched race, Cancel ultimately won the election with 41% of the vote, besting Niou by 1,034 votes, with Chang and Levy together taking 23%.

References

  1. ↑ "February #32 : Tapped for Greatness - by Dennis Levy". Poz.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  2. ↑ "Black And Latino Aids Coalition, Inc. (Blac) in Bronx, NY - Reviews - Bizapedia Profile". Bizapedia.com. 1998-03-23. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  3. ↑ "Partner Notification for H.I.V.". The New York Times. 9 June 1998.
  4. ↑ Levy, Dennis (2010-11-20). "He Made A Difference!". TheBody.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  5. ↑ Levy, Dennis (2010-11-20). "AIDS in The Hood". TheBody.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  6. ↑ 1998 Daily News Special (Archives) 'A Frontline Fight: Battling AIDS through education and advocacy' (Jay Mwamba)
  7. ↑ 'Black and Latino AIDS Coalition of New York: Working to stop the spread of AIDS', Amsterdam Newspaper July 28, 1999. (R. McCullough)
  8. ↑ Levy, Dennis (2010-11-20). "He Made A Difference!". TheBody.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  9. ↑ "The Changing Face of HIV Infection". Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  10. ↑ "Thoughts on a Roundtable: How to Get Heterosexual Black Men Involved in HIV Prevention, Part 1". TheBody.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  11. ↑ "The Forgotten Population: Heterosexual Men of Color and HIV — AIDS Issues Update — Housing Works". Housingworks.org. 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  12. ↑ Levy, Dennis (2010-11-20). "Faggots and Punks". TheBody.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  13. ↑ "AIDS crisis in communities of color prompts demand for national plan to fight HIV/AIDS". Black Politics on the Web. 2008-08-26. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  14. ↑ "White House Announces National HIV/AIDS Strategy". Whitehouse.gov. 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  15. ↑ Adams, Mike (2014-10-03). "Study: Medical Marijuana Works for 92 Percent of Patients". High Times. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  16. ↑ "New York Committee To Legalize Marijuana". Positivelinks.com. 2015-05-02. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  17. ↑ "Positivelinks". Positivelinks.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  18. ↑ "New Study Reveals Blacks Arrested For Marijuana At More Than Twice The Rate For Whites". Norml.org. 2000-11-02. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
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