Barbara Gomes-Beach

Barbara Gomes Beach
Died2017
FamilyMichael Beach

Barbara Gomes-Beach was a community organizer and HIV/AIDS activist in Boston.[1] She was the executive director of the Multicultural AIDS Coalition, a nonprofit AIDS prevention and outreach organization in Boston, until her death in 2017.[2]

Gomes-Beach was born in Oakdale, Wareham, MA.[1] She attended Wareham High School.[1] She completed her undergraduate degree in political science from University of Massachusetts Boston and received a graduate degree in city planning from MIT.[1] Her MA thesis on STEM pre-college programs for youth of color was supervised by Mel King.[3] She was of Cape Verdean, Portuguese and African heritage.[4] She was the mother of American actor, Michael Beach.[4]

Career & advocacy

Before working at the Multicultural AIDS Coalition (MAC), Gomes-Beach worked at the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation.[5] She and the MAC work to serve communities of color and end the HIV epidemic.[6]

Gomes-Beach was an advocate for black and Hispanic communities who were affected by the HIV epidemic. During her tenure at MAC, Gomes-Beach advocated for a NIAID trial on Kemron, a low-dose oral drug that was purported to aid HIV patients.[7][8] Gomes-Beach also led a Multicultural AIDS project that focused on public education on HIV/AIDS.[9] In Massachusetts, she opposed the use of name-tracking in black and Hispanic communities that were infected with HIV.[10] Gomes-Beach was the co-chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus' AIDS coalition, the AIDS Ad Hoc Committee.[11] She was invited to a Harvard conference, "The Untold Story: AIDS and Black Americans," to discuss the effects of HIV on Black communities and criticized the organizers for not reaching out to local communities.[12]

Gomes-Beach was a commissioner on the Commission on Status of Women in Massachusetts.[13] She was also the consultant for the National Association for Minority Contractors 1988 Convention.[14] Gomes-Beach was a member of the Cape Verdean Day Committee established to inaugurate Governor Michael Dukakis' recognition of Cape Verdean Recognition Week.[15]

In 2023, she was recognized as one of "Boston's most admired, beloved, and successful Black Women leaders" by the Black Women Lead project.[16][17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "BARBARA GOMES-BEACH Obituary (2017) - Wareham, MA - Boston Globe". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  2. ^ "Black and Gay in Black and White | The History Project". www.historyproject.org. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  3. ^ Gomes-Beach, Barbara (11 July 1985). A EXAMINATION OF PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAMS IN MATHEMATICS AND THE SCIENCES FOR YOUTH OF COLOR (PDF). MIT.
  4. ^ a b McSweeney, Bridget. "'ER' star coming to Cape Verdean Film Festival". New Bedford Standard-Times. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  5. ^ Mayer, Ken. "Profiles - Barbara Gomes-Beach". bostonphoenix.com. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  6. ^ "MAC: Multicultural AIDS Coalition". oge.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  7. ^ Murdock, Leslie A. (17 September 1992). "AIDS Group Pushes For Kemron Testing". Bay State Banner.
  8. ^ Royles, Dan (2020). To Make the Wounded Whole: The African American Struggle against HIV/AIDS. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1-4696-5950-3. JSTOR 10.5149/9781469659527_royles.
  9. ^ Miller, Yawu (29 July 1993). "Poverty, ignorance blamed for crisis of AIDS in Africa". Bay State Banner.
  10. ^ Palmer, Louise D. (12 December 1998). "Centers for Disease Control urges recording of names of HIV patients: [City Edition]". Boston Globe. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  11. ^ Ritter, Kera (26 June 1999). "Black group seeks funds, and end to silence on AIDS: [City Edition]". Boston Globe. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  12. ^ Kong, Dolores (18 March 1998). "BLACKS' WAR WITH AIDS PROMPTS CALL TO ARMS: [Third Edition]". Boston Globe. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Massachusetts Joins VT, NY & CT: Creates Commission on Status of Women". Women's Times. Great Barrington. 30 April 1999. ProQuest 208951427.
  14. ^ "National Association of Minority Contractors 19th Convention". Cape Verdean News. 29 May 1988. ProQuest 371425974.
  15. ^ do Rosario, Joao A. (15 August 1987). "An historical moment: Recognition at last". Cape Verdean News. ProQuest 371432198.
  16. ^ "Black Women Lead". Greater Grove Hall Main Streets. Archived from the original on 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  17. ^ Sullivan, Mike (2023-10-04). "Portraits along Blue Hill Avenue honor Boston's Black women leaders". CBS Boston. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
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