BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Southern University and A&M College will hold one of the largest displays that honor the Black lives that were lost to AIDS from Feb. 7 to Feb. 11.
The AIDS Quilt consists of 175 panels of people who lost their lives due to AIDS. One panel was sewn in by Rosa Parks. New panels that were stitched by residents and HBCU students will be displayed publicly for the first time.
The opening will be held in the John B. Cade Library at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The week will be filled with quilting workshops, education forums and more. The National AIDS Memorial, Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC), and Gilead Sciences will showcase the quilt.
“We are so honored to partner with these two distinguished HBCUs to bring the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Louisiana during Black History Month,” said Dafina Ward, executive director of the Southern AIDS Coalition. “The Black community faces systemic struggles that we can no longer ignore, not just in the fight to end HIV, but across numerous health and social justice issues. We will ‘change the pattern’ by having honest conversations about these issues, demanding change through our voices and raising awareness through education, and sharing our own stories without shame.”
February 7-11
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Quilt Display
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Quilting Workshops (excluding Saturday)
Tuesday, February 7
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Opening Session with Student Conversations about HIV/AIDS and Quilt Exhibition
12 p.m. -1 p.m.
Friday, February 10
Change the Pattern on the Yard
Student event with DJ and other entertainment
John B. Cade Library
3-5 p.m.
Surviving and Thriving Voices: The Black Community and AIDS
Film Screening and Conversation
John B. Cade Library
5:30-6:30 p.m.
To register for the quilting workshops, click here.
