AIDS Quilt

Words: 610
Pages: 3

Later, that year, with my new-found motivation, I took to Washington D.C. for national involvement which was faced with obstacles and struggles. Through this experience I was able to overcome adversity and learn to persevere rather than giving up. I volunteered for the Names Projects’ display of The AIDS Quilt over the national mall spanning a mile from the Washington Monument right up to the edge of Capitol Hill (AIDS quilt). The Quilt, envisioned by gay rights activist Cleve Jones (Lateef), at this time, was comprised of panels measuring three feet by six feet (AIDS quilt). A group of eight panels was then sewn together to form a section that would be laid out with walkways between (AIDS quilt). The Quilt in its entirety, during this display totaled 38,000 panels (AIDS quilt). Some 2,000 volunteers and …show more content…
A few notable speakers were Elizabeth Taylor, Maya Angelou, Al Gore and his wife Tipper (AIDS quilt). I was able to overcome my emotions and stand on the very same stage and recite names. This was a very emotional time for me. I was a high school senior far away from home, only knowing my mom and sister.
The experience was overwhelming and left me questioning myself at times. One of those times occurred while helping families and friends find the panel of loved ones depicted in a panel. Armed with a map and list of names I had to navigate my way around the display as it ran perpendicular to the street. This street positioned a couple hundred feet away was the temporary home of protestors and hate groups. At this time, the gay community was primarily targeted for the rapidly increasing number of infections of HIV/AIDS. This was evidenced by the insults