Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Miami Herald - April 1, 2005
Andrea Robinson, arobinson@herald.com
Deliford, who was as comfortable in inner-city hovels as she was in Geneva, Switzerland, spreading the AIDS-prevention message to black women, died Monday of complications related to a brain tumor, her family said. She was 38.
Diagnosed with AIDS in the mid-1990s, Deliford was an unlikely activist. She initially went into denial when she learned of her condition. As more black women contracted HIV, she gradually opened up and found her voice on that subject.
"She was one of the first people to come out and disclose her status publicly to educate low-income women," said Kiyongtai Allison, a community volunteer who collaborated with Deliford on outreach projects.
During that time, Allison said, far less money was dedicated to educating women about how AIDS was transmitted.
"Her programs were directed to heterosexual women to prevent them from catching the virus," he said. 'She was one of few people saying 'this can happen to you.' "
Her activism led her to volunteer with local outreach organizations such as MOVERS -- Minorities Overcoming the Virus through Education, Responsibility and Spirituality -- and Christ Crusaders. Later, she started Children With A Reason To Live, a group in which students learn about HIV and STD prevention, and later become peer mentors at schools in Miami-Dade County.
In 1998, Deliford took her message to the world stage when she attended the 12th World AIDS Conference in Geneva, where she told her first-hand account of life with the virus. Two years later, she attended a similar conference in Durbin, South Africa.
Chrystal McDonald, a mentor and volunteer with the children's group, said Deliford took some of her teen charges on the Durbin trip. They performed an original skit, which was written by McDonald.
Deliford had a cameo role: She flashed her big smile and gave her personal story.
"She was full of life, very loving and open. If you knew her, you were a part of her circle," McDonald said.
Aside from activism, she had a strong passion for children. Her husband, Curtis Deliford, said that in her group meetings she urged youths to respect each other.
"She was telling boys how they should respect the girls," he said.
Visitation is 4 to 9 p.m. today at Royal Funeral Home, 17475 NW 27th Ave. The service is 1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of God of Prophecy, 16801 NW 19th Ave.
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