International
‘I’m not afraid of dying’: The pioneering tennis champion who told the world he had Aids
In 1988, World Aids Day began with the aim of raising awareness and understanding of a disease that had struck fear in communities around the globe. That same year, US tennis legend Arthur Ashe learned of his own diagnosis. In History looks at the dilemma that faced Ashe, when, after years of secrecy, he once again became a groundbreaking campaigner.
In April 1992, Arthur Ashe made his way into a packed conference room, where the media were poised with cameras rolling. This time he wasn’t being asked about his role as the first black tennis player to be selected for the United States Davis Cup team, or about his pioneering victories at Wimbledon, the US Open or the Australian Open. He had cemented his name in history as the first black winner of a major men’s singles championship, but after a heart attack that led to multiple surgeries, he had retired from the sport 12 years earlier, at the age of 36.
His intelligence, composure and sportsmanship had made him a popular figure, on and off the court. But the press had heard rumours about his health, at a time when the world was still full of fear of an incurable epidemic. USA Today sports journalist Doug Smith, a childhood friend, confronted Ashe about a tip-off he had received. The next day, keen to control his own story and beat the press, Ashe reluctantly told the world the secret that he and his inner circle had kept since 1988: he had Aids.
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WATCH: ‘Maybe there is no cure for Aids in time for me, but certainly for everybody else’.
He believed that he had contracted the illness from a contaminated blood transfusion during surgery in 1983, two years before blood donations were screened for the HIV virus in the US. The devasting news shocked the nation, but it quickly led to a debate around personal privacy and the ethics of an invasive press. At the conference, Ashe read a statement: “I am angry that I was put… in the unenviable position of having to lie if I wanted to protect my privacy.” He added that “there was certainly no compelling medical or physical necessity to go public with my medical condition”. In his memoir, Days of Grace, Ashe wrote: “More than 700 letters reached USA Today on the issue of my right to privacy, and about 95% vehemently opposed the newspaper’s position.”
Some Aids activists criticised Ashe’s desire for secrecy around his health, as they wanted public figures to broaden discussion beyond the focus of the LGBT+ community. Some felt that he would have been the perfect spokesperson to raise awareness, particularly amongst heterosexuals and minority groups: one letter went as far as to say that Magic Johnson, the NBA player who revealed his HIV diagnosis just five months earlier, could have been saved had Ashe spoken up sooner.
When asked at the news conference why he didn’t go public in 1988, Ashe said: “The answer is simple. Any admission of HIV infection at that time would have seriously, permanently, and – my wife and I believed – unnecessarily infringed upon our family’s right to privacy.” When the subject turned to telling his five-year-old daughter Camera about having the disease, emotion overcame Ashe, and his wife Jeanne read on his behalf.
London, UK – April 4,2025 – The Social Rehabilitation Foundation UK (SRF-UK), an international humanitarian organization committed to sustainable development, today issued a global call for partnerships with NGOs, charities, and civil society organizations to address interconnected crises in poverty, education, women’s empowerment, and public health in vulnerable communities worldwide.
A Multidimensional Crisis Demanding Collective Action
SRF-UK’s latest research highlights alarming global disparities:
• 689 million people live in extreme poverty (World Bank)
• 258 million children remain out of school (UNESCO)
• 1 in 3 women experiences gender-based violence (WHO)
• 50% of the world’s population lacks essential health services (WHO/World Bank)
“These aren’t isolated issues but interconnected challenges requiring collaborative solutions,” said Mr.Asif , Director of SRF-UK. “From the local Desk, we need united action.”
Priority Areas for Partnership
SRF-UK seeks partners for:
1. Poverty Alleviation
• Microfinance initiatives
• Sustainable livelihood programs
• Emergency shelter projects
2. Education Revolution
• School construction in conflict zones
• Digital literacy programs
• Vocational training centers
3. Women’s Empowerment
• Gender-based violence prevention
• Economic inclusion programs
• Leadership development initiatives
4. Public Health Advancement
• Mobile health clinics
• Nutrition programs
• WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) projects
Why Partner With SRF-UK?
✔ Global Footprint: Active in 15 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
✔ Proven Model: 78% program success rate in sustainable interventions
✔ Local Expertise: 85% of field staff are community members
Join Our Global Network
NGOs, international organizations, and corporate social responsibility partners interested in collaboration may contact:
Partnerships Team
Email: info@srfoundation.uk
Website: www.srfoundation.uk/global-partnerships
“The Sustainable Development Goals won’t be achieved by any single organization. We need an alliance of change-makers,” Mr.Asif .
Available for Media:
• High-resolution photos/videos from our field operations
• Expert commentary on global development challenges
• Customized regional data snapshots
About Social Rehabilitation Foundation UK
A UK-registered working organization to create lasting change through education, economic empowerment, and health initiatives. SRF-UK has impacted over 2.3 million lives across 46 projects worldwide.
Michael Storc and his family had just survived a devastating wildfire.
Now they have to face a daunting new challenge that he had hoped to never experience again – the Los Angeles housing market.
After losing the Altadena home that he owned in the Eaton fire, he was scouring for a new place to rent, and having little luck.
“What’s available is not nice at all and the rents have gone up a lot,” Mr Storc told the BBC. “I told my teenage daughter we had to accept we would live somewhere not very nice.”
The Los Angeles area already has one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. And with thousands now displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires, Angelenos are anxious that the sudden surge in demand could make rents and home prices soar even higher.
California has an anti-price gouging law that prevents landlords from raising rents more than 10% after the governor declares an emergency. It applies to both existing and tenants and new leases.
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LA brain surgeon saves street from fires
Many Los Angeles County buildings are also covered by rent stabilisation laws, which prevent landlords from raising the rent for existing tenants above a certain percentage even in normal circumstances.
“It is illegal. You cannot do it,” California attorney general Rob Bonta said at a Saturday press conference. “It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines.”
Not everyone was certain that the law would be completely enforceable, however.
“We’re aware of that but my question is, how is that being regulated? And who’s monitoring that?” said Jessica Heredia, a realtor based in the high-end Brentwood neighbourhood for the last 20 years.
A Los Angeles brain surgeon who fought for almost a week to save the houses on his street from wildfires told the BBC he spent 15 years preparing for such an event.
Malibu resident Dr Chester Griffiths, 62, ignored evacuation orders to keep flames from the Palisades fire at bay with the help of his son and neighbour, until emergency services were able to reach them.
“We had always known that a fire would come someday – but we didn’t know when,” Dr Griffiths told the BBC’s Today Programme.
“We never fathomed it would be this catastrophic and apocalyptic.”
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