Melvin K. Wright is a man with a single passion: to end the HIV epidemic.

His reasons are deeply personal.

 By Dixie Ann Black

In the late 1990s Melvin’s only sister, Kay, contracted HIV from her boyfriend. He was freshly released from prison and had not revealed to her his positive HIV status. In no time he was wheelchair bound due to his illness and died shortly thereafter.

Melvin explains that in the mid to late 1990s, treatments for HIV were far less effective than they are today. Within months Kay was also diagnosed with HIV. Within a year she was dead.

In an ironic twist of faith, Kay and Melvin’s father, Willie, contracted HIV shortly after his daughter died. He also was dead within a year, but not before passing the virus on to his wife, Melvin’s stepmother, Lucile. In seemingly no time Lucile too was dead.

Melvin and his entire family were still in shock when Melvin’s uncle, James, contracted the virus. Soon he too was dead. Four grueling deaths in one family, one right after the other.

What do you do with pain like that? I asked Melvin.

“You turn it into passion. A passion to end HIV” Melvin explains.

Melvin who works as a self-described “yard person” in the Broward County school system, has done just that. While cleaning up condoms on school grounds of Deerfield Beach High School, Melvin received the inspiration to educate the youth on the virus by starting an HIV Club. In 2017, with the help of teacher, Tiajuana Hill at Deerfield Beach High, the first club was established.

The club consists of 20 teenage girls between the ages of 14 and 16. He then added a second club of teenage boys and girls in the Palm Beach area. Mr. Wright and Ms. Hill provide meals, and education on HIV by engaging the Health Department, Broward House and BLACC as contributors and sponsors. He has also established the KWJL Scholarship (KWJL represents the first initial of each family member that died from the virus – Kay, Willie, James and Lucille. The scholarship awards three $500 prizes to the best essays on the subject written by children from the HIV Club.

The educational component is just one arm of Melvin’s war on HIV. In 2017 he formed “Be A Champion for AIDS/HIV” (BDEA Champ). Through this organization he buys bicycles and donates them to “Light up Sistrunk”.

“Every two weeks when I get paid, I put money away to buy a bicycle and then donate it.”

Over the last four years, he has given five bicycles to the Sistrunk organization and six to the HIV clubs.

“When God blesses me, I bless others.” Melvin explains.

  When asked how he is able to keep up this pace, he points to his two supports, his wife Bridgett Wright and God.  Mrs. Wright also works with the School Board. Together they share four grown children. His brother, who lives in Atlanta, is also engaged in the fight against HIV and his mother is a strong supporter. His niece, Alicia, has given him the greatest honor by telling him that she will make sure his legacy lives on when he dies.

Mr. Wright admits that it is impatient to see his work bear results.

“It’s because I’m really passionate about this.” he explains. “When I asked God, why did You give me this assignment?” The answer that came was, ‘Why not me?’”

“How do I know God has called me? Because of the passion I have.”

In addition to the clubs, scholarships and bicycle donations, Melvin is constantly working on HIV Awareness promotional items including his own HIV car tag approved by the DMV and a signature ring he wears that represents the project. He also has a HIV ministry in his local church.

What’s next for Melvin K. Wright? He is in the process of making “Be A Champion for AIDS/HIV” a 501 C-3 organization to expand his reach.

“I used to run to ask people for help. Now people are asking me for help.” He laughs as he adds, “I even have a friend in Uganda, that I’m working with!”

Also on the horizon is a book entitled “A New Day – Ending the HIV Epidemic”. This is a collaborative effort between Ms. Sandra Maria Anderson and Mr. Melvin K. Wright. The book chronicles the story of someone living with HIV for thirty years. The book is expected to be released next month and will be on sale on Amazon.com