N3C Delegates and CFAR Directors,
The N3C Officers and Advisors announce, with great sadness, the passing of Cornelius Baker.
Antonio Cornelius Baker’s extensive career in public health included service as special adviser to the Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health, and as a consultant to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, the U.S Dept. of State’s Office of Global AIDS and Health Diplomacy, and the George H. W. Bush Administration.
He led the National Association of People with AIDS, Whitman-Walker Health, and was a lecturer at Emory University.
“While Cornelius is most well-known for his contributions to the HIV/AIDS movement, his advocacy work spanned a range of social justice issues, His passion for racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights made him an instrumental figure in advancing the causes that he cared deeply about. When it came to LGBTQ+ rights, Cornelius was an advocate for intersectional activism – recognizing that the right for LGBTQ+ equality was not separate from the broader movements for racial and gender justice.” (Wisdom Ijay, a friend.)
The Center for Black Equity, a D.C.-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, released a statement calling Baker, “A trailblazing advocate whose dedication to health equity, especially for Black and LGBTQ+ communities, changed countless lives. Cornelius was a compassionate leader and mentor, an unwavering voice for justice, and a cherished friend to many. His passion, resilience, and commitment to equity in health and rights shaped policy, empowered communities, and uplifted those who needed it most.”
Cornelius died at his home on November 9th.