HR 178: Baker, Antonio Cornelius; condolences

House Resolution 178

By: Representatives Cannon of the 58th, Drenner of the 85th, Barnes of the 86th, Park of the 107th, and Carter of the 93rd

A RESOLUTION

Honoring the life and memory of Antonio Cornelius Baker; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Antonio Cornelius Baker on November 8, 2024; and

WHEREAS, born on September 30, 1961, Antonio Cornelius Baker was a distinguished public health advocate and policy expert whose career was dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and advocacy; and

WHEREAS, he spent part of his early childhood in Apopka, Florida, before moving to Syracuse, New York, where he was raised by his mother, Shirley Baker, a social worker and family services coordinator; and

WHEREAS, in 1983, he began his professional career as an arts editor for Washington City Paper and became involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy and fundraising for community organizations such as Brother, Help Thyself; and

WHEREAS, he served as an executive assistant to D.C. City Council Member Carol Schwartz in 1985, during which time he developed the skills that would serve as the foundation for his future leadership in health advocacy; and

WHEREAS, diagnosed as HIV-positive during the early years of the AIDS epidemic, he dedicated innumerable hours of his time and energy toward advocating for those affected by the disease; and

WHEREAS, he joined the White House Presidential Personnel Office in 1989 under President George H. W. Bush and later served as Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services from 1989 to 1992; and

WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker played a pivotal role in the National Association of People with AIDS, where he served as policy director and later as executive director, leading efforts to establish National HIV Testing Day on June 27 to promote routine testing and reduce stigma; and

WHEREAS, from 1999 to 2004, he served as executive director of the Whitman-Walker Clinic, where he worked to expand access to HIV/AIDS care while addressing the clinic's financial challenges; and

WHEREAS, his later contributions included serving as an adviser to the National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition and contributing to PEPFAR initiatives to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic; and

WHEREAS, he further collaborated with the National Institutes of Health's Office of AIDS Research, participated in the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and held board positions with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation; and

WHEREAS, he was united in companionship with Gregory Nevins, a senior counsel at Lambda Legal, with whom he shared a 20-year-long bond of love; and

WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Antonio Cornelius Baker will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Antonio Cornelius Baker and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Antonio Cornelius Baker.