Debra Fraser-Howze (born November 11, 1952) is an American HIV/AIDS and public health leader.[1][2] She is the founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS and Choose Healthy Life.[3][4] Fraser-Howze served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS from 1995 to 2001, advising Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and was a co-author of the Minority AIDS Initiative legislation enacted in 1998.[5]
Early Life and Education
Fraser-Howze was born in The Bronx, and was raised in Harlem.[1] She became a mother at age 15 and had a second child at 17, experiences that later influenced her work in social advocacy.[6]
Fraser-Howze attended Martha Nielson School in the Bronx, a program for pregnant teenagers and young mothers.[4][6] Afterwards, she received a full scholarship to attend Hunter College. In 2024, she received her Master of Theological Studies degree from Moravian Theological Seminary.[7]
Career
Early in her career, Fraser-Howze worked as director of youth and social welfare at the National Urban League, where she developed a program designed to help teenage parents return to high school.[6]
In 1987 Fraser-Howze founded the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA), an organization focused on addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities in the United States.[3][8][9] The organization brought together prominent Black civic, political, and religious leaders involved in the national response to HIV/AIDS, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, former New York City mayor David Dinkins, and Rev. Calvin O. Butts.[9][10] Fraser-Howze served as the organization’s original president and chief executive officer.[1][2] NBLCA conducts policy, research, and advocacy related to HIV/AIDS in Black communities.[8] Fraser-Howze also co-authored the Minority AIDS Initiative, a federal initiative launched in 1998 to expand HIV-related services and prevention efforts in minority communities.[11]
During Fraser-Howze’s tenure, NBLCA participated in national awareness efforts addressing HIV in Black communities, including efforts associated with the creation of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, observed annually on February 7.[12]
During the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Fraser-Howze collaborated with officials at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, led by Dr. Anthony Fauci. She chaired a community constituency group that connected activists and local leaders with scientists involved in HIV/AIDS clinical trials.[8][10]
Fraser-Howze served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS from 1995 to 2001, advising Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. In 2003 she was appointed to the New York City Commission on AIDS, and in 2007 she was appointed to the New York State Governor’s Health Advisory Council. [13]
Fraser-Howze also worked with religious leaders to address HIV/AIDS within faith communities. Rev. Calvin O. Butts, pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, collaborated with Fraser-Howze in engaging Black churches in HIV/AIDS advocacy.[8][10]
In 2008 Fraser-Howze became Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs at OraSure Technologies.[4] During her tenure she was involved in the launch of the company’s rapid HIV test, as well as the development of rapid diagnostic tests for Ebola and Zika.[14][15]
In October 2020, Fraser-Howze founded Choose Healthy Life, a nonprofit organization that works with Black churches to provide health services and outreach programs.[16] The organization’s National Black Clergy Council is co-chaired by Rev. Al Sharpton and Bishop Leah D. Daughtry.
Personal Life
Fraser-Howze has four children. Her daughter Sheena Wright previously served as Deputy Mayor of New York City. Another daughter, Tanya Wright, is an actress and author. Her son Clinton resides in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Fraser-Howze’s son Barron Wright was killed in a police shooting in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania in 2004.[17]
References
Watkins-Hayes, Celeste (August 20, 2019). Remaking a Life: How Women Living with HIV/AIDS Confront Inequality. California: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520296022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. 181guy (talk) 22:17, 9 March 2026 (UTC)