In his fifth State of the State Address, Texas' longest-serving governor also proposed increasing small-business exemptions on a 3-year-old business tax, toughened border enforcement against violent Mexican drug cartels, and a continuation of spending policies that he said has helped Texas fare better than many other states weathering the nation’s economic crisis.

For more than a decade, the number of black women living with HIV in the United States has steadily increased. For more than six months, a team of reporters and photographers followed several women living with HIV in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The women are learning, and teaching others, how to stand up for themselves.

For Casey, the stigma of being HIV-positive has made her stronger.

The effort to stop HIV’s spread among blacks is a battle against racism and poverty, distrust and homophobia.

The fight against the epidemic levels of HIV/AIDS among blacks is hampered by a conspiracy of silence and shame.

Veronica is healthy and a successful businesswoman, but she doesn’t forget the reality of HIV.

Dallas researchers are using drugs already available to try to prevent HIV infection.

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