In an age of progressive medicine and medical technology, an epidemic has been growing in American cities. While the causes of the disease are largely unknown, its prevalence and severity vary dramatically by race and socioeconomic status. The impact of the disease captured the attention of national and local public health officials in the mid-1990s and elicited large-scale government and private action. However, few public health initiatives confronted the racial and socioeconomic disparities. Nearly a decade after the epidemic reached the public eye, community organizers and lawyers began to develop litigation and organizing strategies to respond to these underlying racial and socioeconomic concerns.