March 13, 2026
The tour hopes to empower students with resources to reshape how Gen Z understands HIV.
The push for HIV awareness among Generation Z continues as GLAAD brings its Generation Z & HIV: Human Issue and Southern Solution HBCU Tour to Morehouse College.
The event, in partnership with Gilead Sciences, will take place on March 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Attendance is open to Morehouse College and Atlanta University Center students and faculty.
Hampton University athlete Byron Perkins Jr. will join GLAAD’s Darian Aaron, director of local news, to discuss sexual health, stigmas around sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and the benefits of the HIV prevention drug PrEP.
A 2024 GLAAD study revealed that the South has the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses and that Gen Z is often the least informed about the condition.
Perkins said HIV remains a serious concern in Black communities, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or number of partners. He noted that the tour is equipping at‑risk youth with the information and tools they need to protect their health.
Rashad Burgess, vice president of corporate responsibility at Gilead Sciences, echoed Perkins’ sentiments, noting that the purpose of the tour is to make information understandable and normalize testing and other prevention methods.
Morehouse College marks the third stop of the tour. The Generation Z & HIV tour started at Jackson State University in October 2025, with special guest Snoop Dogg. The rapper spoke about his friend, and former Death Row Records label mate Eazy-E, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1995. He acknowledged that he and his peers lacked education about HIV and AIDS during the early days of the disease.
“There was no medical information to let us know what was going on. We were so scared we stopped everything,” the actor noted.
At Alabama State University on Feb. 5, students were asked how organizations can best reach and engage them.
“Putting a banner on your table is not going to get me to take heed to your message. When things like TikTok are what is getting a lot of our attention. You have to find mechanisms that make it relatable to us as the new generation, one student said.
Their responses underscored a generational gap in communication and the importance of creating inclusive conversations that meet students where they are.
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