Inspiring Voices in the LGBTQ Movement
Just as they have with COVID-19, communities of color have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The reasons are not mysterious: The same systemic racism that devalues Black lives permeates institutions – healthcare, housing, work, family – that we need to take care of ourselves and one another. The coupling of racism and AIDS stigma has been lethal.
At the same time, drawing on civil rights traditions and strategies – and on often-ignored community assets and resilience -- AfricanAmericans have also been at the forefront of AIDS activism.
The National AIDS Memorial has long been committed to giving voice to the stories of Black lives, stories that operate at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability, stories that illustrate that the fight against HIV/AIDS is inseparable from the fight against racism, stories premised on the fact that Black Lives Matter.
