AIDS United’s Melanated Movement team is proud to announce the launch of the Melanated Movement Engagement Advisory Council, a group of women-identified leaders committed to reshaping the narrative around HIV care and prevention for both Cis and Transgender women.

Rooted in the principles of ViiV Healthcare’s From Risk to Reasons initiative, the Melanated Movement portfolio focuses on the motivations, strengths, and resilience that empower Black women to take charge of their sexual and reproductive health for both Cisgender and Transgender women. The Advisory Council will serve as a guiding body, helping shape the program’s growth, outreach, and impact while ensuring that the voices and experiences of Black women remain at the center of the work.

The Advisory Council will provide recommendations on programmatic plans, awareness day activities, and opportunities for new engagement. Members will also advise on technical assistance priorities and ensure the initiative reflects the diversity of experiences among Black women and girls most impacted by HIV.

The Advisory Council will serve a two year term to help advance the goals to design and execute a comprehensive sexual, reproductive health, and HIV awareness campaign by and for Black women, integrating prevention, treatment, policy, funding, and research platforms; and strengthen connections between women in the movement and their allies, building collaboration opportunities with fellow grantees and national partners. 

Meet the Advisory Council Members: 

Bridgette Picou, LVN, ACLPN – Bridgette is a licensed vocational and certified AIDS Care Nurse based in Palm Springs, California. She works for The Well Project as stakeholder liaison, representing women living with and affected by HIV across medical, research, policy, and advocacy spaces. She serves as director at large for the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) and sits on the board of the HIV & Aging Research Project–Palm Springs (HARP-PS). Living at the intersections of being Black, a woman, and thriving with HIV, Bridgette works to ensure the humanity behind HIV is always seen and uplifted.

Shambria Davis, MPH, MS, LSSYB – Shambria is a public health strategist, capacity-building specialist, and communications advocate dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black women and women of color. With more than a decade of experience in HIV outreach, health equity communications, and organizational development, she has worked across grassroots and national platforms to drive culturally relevant engagement. Her journey with the Melanated Movement began as a supporter and contributor to its mission. Now, as an Advisory Council member, Shambria brings her full voice and strategic lens to help reimagine advocacy, communications, and care for Black and Brown women.

Ronnie L. Taylor – Ronnie serves as the Community Impact Director at FreeState Justice and is the Acting Commissioner on the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention. A longtime advocate, she became the first openly transgender Chief of Staff in the Maryland General Assembly. At FreeState Justice, she leads community advocacy, policy, development, and engagement efforts. Ronnie has been featured on WBAL TV, NBC 4 Washington, WUSA 9, and The Washington Blade, and emceed the first Transgender Day of Visibility at the Maryland State House in 2023. A Prince George’s County native, she also teaches African American Studies as an adjunct professor.

Masonia B. Traylor – Masonia is a mother, global HIV activist, and certified speaker dedicated to supporting women and youth impacted by HIV/AIDS. She is the Executive Director of Lady BurgAndy Inc., a nonprofit focused on education, prevention, and advocacy in the Southeastern U.S. A recognized leader in trauma-informed care and perinatal transmission, she has been featured in campaigns and magazines nationwide. Masonia serves as a community ambassador and advisory board member for several organizations, and is a proud Community Captain for ViiV’s Risk to Reasons Initiative.

Zahara Bassett – Zahara Bassett is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Life is Work, a Chicago-based nonprofit she founded in 2017 to provide vital resources, housing advocacy, and affirming care for LGBTQ+ communities of color. A Black woman of trans experience and native of Chicago’s Austin community, Zahara turned her lived experiences with systemic inequities into fuel for building solidarity and support across the LGBTQ+ movement.

She previously served as Director of Development at Brave Space Alliance, where she led a crisis food pantry campaign that raised over $1 million, and has collaborated with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the Human Rights Campaign, and Illinois’ Learning Circle Collaborative. In 2021, she was appointed to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Health and Human Service Task Force.

Zahara’s leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Chicago Foundation for Women’s Impact Award (2022), induction into the Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame (2022), and the ESTEEM Award for Outstanding Service, Transgender (2022). She continues to champion trans visibility and equity, notably through hosting Chicago’s annual Trans Visibility Pageant, which uplifts and celebrates trans community leaders.

To learn more about the Melanated Movement and its work to advance HIV care and prevention for Black women, visit https://aidsunited.org/action/melanated-movement/

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About AIDS United: AIDS United is committed to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States (U.S.) through strategic grantmaking, advocacy, and capacity building. Through our pillars of strategic grantmaking, capacity building, technical assistance, policy, and advocacy, AIDS United has delivered more than $160 million in direct funding and leveraged an additional $184 million to increase the capacity of communities and organizations responding to the HIV epidemic across the U.S. Our grantees and members touch communities representing more than 96 percent of today’s HIV epidemic. We have proudly supported the work of over 600 organizations across 43 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit www.aidsunited.org to learn more about our work.