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.