National AIDS Memorial Grove Executive Director John Cunningham with Scholarship Recipients
Today, millions of people around the world mark World AIDS Day, a stark reminder that more than three decades into the epidemic, more than 70 million people around the world have been infected with the HIV virus, with 35 million people having died from HIV- and AIDS-related causes.
In San Francisco, we gather at the National AIDS Memorial, a sacred space to remember all the lives lost, to honor those living with HIV and AIDS and express our thanks to leaders who have made a significant difference in the fight against AIDS.
Forged over two and a half decades ago during the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, this memorial stands as a testament to the best in community, created by individuals with a shared vision for a dedicated space for those seeking healing, hope and remembrance.
On World AIDS Day we as survivors bring our own personal experience with the epidemic. As a person living with AIDS and having lived through the darkest days in the Castro and knowing that these dark days were being experienced in many other places, I can still feel the deep sense of hopelessness which permeated our communities.
At the time, action was the only antidote for this feeling and through that spirit of action we have together accomplished much in our ongoing journey toward a more just society.
Each of has a story to tell and our common bond is that each of us is a witness to the AIDS epidemic and most importantly to each other. To bear witness also carries a responsibility to forever stand for those who can no longer tell their story.
There are times when we must again pick up the “banner” used in prior struggles and again march to defend what others have fought and died for. Today is one of those times.
As a community, it is important to recommit ourselves to this cause, and in the process, honor those we have lost.
The National AIDS Memorial by its very existence is a space dedicated to baring witness and to share the stories in perpetuity with those who follow us. We understand our deep responsibility to forever tell the story so that those who face stigma and discrimination as we have can be empowered by their stories of heroism and compassion.
While today there is greater hope for millions of people living with HIV and AIDS, particularly given the advancements in diagnostics, treatment and medicine, we cannot rest until we finally find a cure.
And, we must always remember that this memorial was created as a site of conscience, a space dedicated to forever standing as a reminder of past struggles, and thus, a space to help prevent future injustice and atrocities by forging action out of memory.
John Cunningham is the executive director of the National AIDS Memorial. Learn more at www.aidsmemorial.org.