We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leisha McKinley-Beach. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leisha below.
Leisha, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
In 2007 I was working with my dear friend and colleague Ronald Henderson who served as the Statewide Minority AIDS Coordinator for the Florida Department of Health Mr Henderson had received data from our epidemiologist that showed Black women represented 70% of the new HIV cases among women for the previous year. Ron went to work putting together a team to address this disproportionate impact of HIV among Florida’s Black women that work led to a Statewide initiative known as Sistas Organizing to Survive (SOS). I didn’t know then that this initiative would launched my work for Black women in HIV for the next 15 years.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have provided HIV prevention services across the South for nearly 33 years. I started this work as a college freshman at the University of Florida (go Gators!) at the age of 17. My journey to serving the Black community in public health has come with the triumph of seeing the development of new medical advances to prevent new HIV diagnoses and the heartbreak of death from folks who were clients and colleagues who grew to become my family.
Three of my most significant accomplishments in my career include the advocacy for funding and programs for same-gender loving Black men; the development of the first community mobilization initiative to address HIV among Florida’s Black women called Sistas Organizing to Survive (SOS). This initiative tested 100,000 Black women for HIV, advocating to ensure that Black communities get access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis just like all other communities.
My final work before retirement in December of 2023 will be the development of a Black public health academy, a training institution for Black health department staff who desire to serve in leadership roles.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
I didn’t choose HIV, it chose me, or should I say the Creator chose me to do this work. The blessings, relationships, and growth I’ve experienced in HIV have been the confirmation that I was destined to be a part of the movement. With everything I know and have experienced. I would do it all again.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
For every team I’ve managed, I’ve asked them for only two things: 1 commit to leaving the program better than it was when you came and 2 When we put our public health badge on, remember we are serving the public so treat people (in all of their diversity) the way you want to be treated.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leisha.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckinleybeach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leisha.mckinleybeach/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leisha-mckinley-beach/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeishaMcKinleyB
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRz_v9AQ8JDAlIP5iUDUtPw
Image Credits
All the images were created with my personal camera