WE ARE WATCHFUL EYE
DEE BAILEY
Founder
In 2009, Ms. Bailey founded Watchful Eye. Watchful Eye informs, coordinates and organizes the volunteer efforts of the indigenous black leadership in their local communities and across the nation to meet the challenge of fighting AIDS. As the founder of Watchful Eye, Dee continues to work tirelessly in educating local, state, and national elected officials, as well as, clergy and civic leaders around the issues of HIV/AIDS as it relates to Communities of Color.
Dee is well known for her passion when she extols the importance of HIV/AIDS education and the need to take the first step by “Getting Tested” and “Knowing Your Status”, an important message that she takes from the office to wherever she is seen.
JESSICA BAILEY
Director of Operations
In her role as Director at Watchful Eye, Jessica provides direction for the organization’s charge to mobilize and educate locally and nationally elected officials, as well as clergy and civic leaders around the issues of HIV/AIDS as it relates to communities of color.
FOUNDERS MESSAGE
In NYC, almost 10,000 youth under the age of 29 are living with HIV; over 40,000 youth between 13-24 years old were diagnosed with an STI; and alcohol continues to be the most widely used substance among America’s youth. An estimated 1.2 million people are living with HIV- of those numbers, 482,900 were among Black/African American people.
Brooklyn is the most populous borough with 30% of NYC's population and the largest number of African Americans, women, adolescents and children living with HIV/AIDS.
We must continue to concentrate on Fighting the AIDS Epidemic. This cannot be done effectively by dividing up our strategies and action plans. We must draw some conclusions about what works and what does not, and move forward.
We are keeping a Watchful Eye on the high risk and low income areas associated with large numbers of infected individuals. We continue to monitor the treatment and care of persons living with the virus. With the number of HIV infections rising each year, we know that it would take every civic leader, elected official, and community stakeholder getting involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The initiative presents an opportunity to exhibit a holistic approach to providing education, awareness and capacity building.
New York City, along with the rest of the nation, has been fighting a battle against HIV and AIDS. It is a daunting battle. It is a battle that requires the full collective dedication of those who have chosen to do this work. This battle can be won, but we must be smart, and work together should we hope to win.
Many tides have come and gone thus changing the landscape of this epidemic, but the epidemic has intensified, and so should our commitment. While leadership has changed, neither our fight, nor our mission has been altered. Nor shall they ever be. The battle continues and our strength has grown to epidemic proportions. I hope that you will join us in the unparalleled challenge to address the impace of HIV and AIDS in our community.
Dee Bailey