CRENSHAW : Uganda King Details AIDS Crisis in Africa

Robinsons May, on the verge of reopening after months of earthquake damage repair, had a very special first guest visit its spruced-up facilities: the king of Uganda.

But His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II was hardly there to inspect the premises. The 39-year-old spiritual leader of the east African nation made a stop June 3 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza to raise local awareness about the AIDS crisis in Africa, particularly in his country.

“HIV infection is estimated at 10% of people in Uganda, which is much greater than in the United States,” Mutebi told a crowd assembled in the Museum of African American Art on the store’s second level. “Imagine a country the size of Minnesota with 10,000 new cases of AIDS to absorb each month. This is what we are facing.”

Officials from several AIDS and health organizations, including the Black AIDS Commission and the Ugandan AIDS project, spoke on behalf of Mutebi’s effort. Uganda Project founder Canon James Larthrop pointed out the orphan problem that is becoming a tragic part of the AIDS devastation.

“Two million men and women in Uganda have AIDS, and (in the United States), there are about 300,000 cases diagnosed,” said Larthrop, who works jointly with the Anglican Church in Uganda on the project. “There are hundreds of thousands of orphaned children. Who’s going to raise them?”

State Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) said that it was time blacks of all nations realized that AIDS is taking its greatest toll on those of African descent. “In this neighborhood, it was a long time before we felt that AIDS would touch our lives,” she said. “But it’s spreading faster now. We must focus and stop our people from dying.”

After receiving a $5,200 check from Robinsons May Manager Joyce Mack for the Ugandan AIDS Project, Mutebi urged guests to read more about the seriousness of the Ugandan situation and donate what they could, from money to medical supplies to clean sheets, to help stop the spread of AIDS.

“Compared to Uganda,” Mutebi said, “America still has time to educate and help its citizens to change their behavior.” A week after Mutebi’s visit, Robinsons May reopened to the general public.