Whereas Paul Kawata has served as the executive director of NMAC (formerly the National Minority AIDS Council) since 1989, becoming the longest serving leader of a national HIV/AIDS organization in the United States;

Whereas, under Mr. Kawata’s transformative leadership, NMAC became a powerful national force advancing health equity for minority communities, with a mission rooted in lifting up communities of color, especially Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations, who have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS;

Whereas Paul Kawata has been a fearless and unapologetic voice for LGBTQ+ justice, ensuring that LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly queer people of color, are fully visible, represented, and protected in HIV/AIDS policy, service delivery, and community care;

Whereas Paul Kawata helped lay the foundation for equitable public health responses through his role as a founding member of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership and a leader in shaping the Minority AIDS Initiative and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy;

Whereas Paul Kawata’s work has consistently confronted systemic racism, homophobia, and health disparities, creating pathways for inclusion, leadership, and advocacy among historically marginalized groups;

Whereas, throughout the darkest and most stigmatizing chapters of the HIV epidemic, Paul Kawata responded not with silence but with bold action and moral clarity, working to dismantle bias and build resilient, empowered communities;

Whereas, as a proud Japanese American, Paul Kawata shattered barriers and has long served as a mentor and inspiration to emerging leaders, particularly in the Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and LGBTQ+ movements, helping to amplify the voices of those too often left out of national conversations on health and equity; and

Whereas Paul Kawata’s work exemplifies the power of intersectional leadership, always centering justice, dignity, and the lived experience of those most impacted: Now, therefore, be it