Mason AIDS Quilt

Meet our celebrity activist Hydeia Broadbent. The following introduction is from her website.

At birth, Hydeia Broadbent was abandoned at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas where Patricia and Loren Broadbent adopted her as an infant. Although her HIV condition was congenital, she was not diagnosed as HIV-positive with advancement to AIDS until age three. The prognosis was that she would not live past the age of five and as a result became the “test baby” for HIV/AIDS medications, which are currently on the market today. Needless to say, this “test baby” has defied the odds by more than16 years, which is valid proof that HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence.

Hydeia’s debut as an HIV/AIDS activist and public speaker began at the age of six during one of her many visits to the hospital. By age 12 she was appearing on national programs including Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America and “A conversation with Magic Johnson”. Over the next 10 years Hydeia became a notable featured speaker and guest panelist at some of America’s most respected educational institutions: Duke University, Clark Atlanta University, UCLA, USC, and Howard University. Since1996, she has been featured in some of today’s most prominent publications and television programs that include but are not limited to: Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine New York Times, POZ Magazine, Seventeen, Heart & Soul, Nickelodeon, MTV, and BET. To her credit, she has also been honored with an American Red Cross Spirit Award and a 1999 Essence Award. In 2006 Hydeia was the keynote speaker at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada, Essence Music Festival and Bishop TD Jakes Aids Rally. Ebony Magazine named Hydeia as one of the Most Influential African Americans in a list of a 150 in 2008. Hydeia has also been a part of some of America’s top talk radio programs include but not limited to Russ Parr Morning Show, Tom Joyner Morning Show also was part of One of the first Satellite Radio programs dealing with HIV/AIDS Today, Hydeia is a 25 year old consummate professional, international public speaker, and HIV/AIDS activist with distinguished communication and presentation skills. She has an innate ability to bond with any audience. When addressing the public about the issues of HIV/AIDS, her primary goal is to provide a clear understanding of how to avoid at-risk behaviors through self-examination and informed decision-making. She succinctly stated “…with all that we know about the virus, it is clear to me that no one has to contract HIV/AIDS today with the right education . We must help ourselves and the youth make wise choices.”