To celebrate National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day the AIDS Memorial Quilt is headed to Louisiana honoring Black & Brown lives lost to HIV & AIDS. This is part of “Change the Pattern” a national campaign to end HIV in Black, Brown & LGBTQ communities across the Southern United States. The National AIDS Memorial, Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) & Gilead Sciences will showcase two major displays of the AIDS Quilt from February 7th to 11th at Dillard University in New Orleans & Southern University & A&M College in Baton Rouge. Dafina Ward, Executive Director, SAC stated, “We are so honored to partner with these two distinguished HBCUs to bring the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Louisiana during Black History Month. The Black community faces systemic struggles that we can no longer ignore, not just in the fight to end HIV, but across numerous health & social justice issues. We will ‘change the pattern’ by having honest conversations about these issues, demanding change through our voices & raising awareness through education & sharing our own stories without shame.” Jada Harris, Quilt program manager at the National AIDS Memorial cocluded, “These Quilt displays, quilting workshops & educational events are designed to raise awareness about the HIV crisis in the state that has persisted for far too long. By sharing the stories of Louisiana & Southern lives lost to AIDS through these beautifully hand-stitched quilt panels made by Louisianans, we are introducing the importance of the Quilt and its powerful stories to a new generation to change the pattern & end HIV in our community.” The five-day AIDS Quilt displays are free to the public & include quilting workshops, educational forums & student events.
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