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Selma Air is an organization within the city that is known for its efforts to spread awareness about HIV and the preventative measures residents in the community should take to decrease transmission.

On Friday, the wellness organization held its annual honor walk to commemorate and honor those who have lost their fight with the disease, and to support those within the community who are actively living with HIV in their daily life.

Executive director Larry Cowan of the organization said the official day, World Aids Day is recognized on Dec. 1.

“We are the ones that decided to do our World AIDS Day event on Dec. 6, 2024 and with our honor walk, the theme is remember, survive and thrive. We’re remembering those who have lost their battle with the disease, and we are giving the opportunity to recognize those that are surviving, and we want to give credence and applause to those that are thriving.”

Several members of the organization alongside other members within the community attended the honor walk that started from Phoenix Park located downtown to the fellowship area right beside the Edmund Pettis Bridge.

Near the bridge, Cowan read a proclamation from the City of Selma declaring their efforts to support and honor the national day locally and to give appreciation to Selma Air for the continued effort to spread awareness.

During the event, Cowan revealed to the public his own personal journey with the disease and how his passion to educate others within the “Selma Air” organization took place.

“My passion started a few months after I got my diagnosis,” said Cowan. “Those first few months I mourned those memories, those dreams, those passions and the things I thought I had to let go of and if it wasn’t for my support system, my family and Selma Air when I got involved, that gave me the push to light that fire, and it gave me that passion to be where I am.”
Cowan said he started off as a volunteer for the organization which led to several public speaking engagements that soon led him to feel that if he could have given his voice to a generation that has not heard it sooner, maybe he could’ve been the change within Selma Air that they needed a long time ago.

Cowan said the organization’s late former director Mel Underwood Prince saw something in him that he couldn’t see for himself at the time that has catapulted him forward and prepared him for this role being the latest executive director today.

Throughout the event that was geared by Cowan and his team, a balloon release ceremony was held with red and white balloons, showcasing remembrance to those who lost their lives to HIV with the white balloon and the red balloon was a signifying color in honor of the organization and its 29th year of bringing awareness to those within the community about HIV.

Bringing the event to a close, the organization held a party in the Phoenix Park where vendors and members of the Hope Psychiatric Consultants, the Alabama Public Health, the Rolling Youth organization among many others came out and supported the organization’s cause.

The event also allowed members within the community who attended the event to actively sign up for rapid HIV testing while they were there if they would’ve liked to.

“One thing that I would love for everyone to take from this event is that HIV has no respective person,” Cowan said. “It does not matter whether you are rich, poor, where you live, what your tax bracket is, what you wear or who you know, if you are out there making risky decisions, it can affect your life as well.”

For more information about Selma Air and its programs and services, contact them by phone at 334-872-6795.