National Aids Memorial June 2021

June 5th marks 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported in the United States. It is also HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day. The issues our nation faced in the past year — a raging pandemic with hundreds of thousands of lives lost, social injustice, health inequity, stigma, bigotry and fear – are also the issues faced throughout four decades of the AIDS pandemic.  It is why today, we have a National AIDS Memorial.

As the nation’s federally designated national memorial to honor the lives lost to AIDS, our mission is so much more, particularly as we face a rise in HIV rates today, particularly in communities of color and among Black gay men and young people.

Through powerful programs, the National AIDS Memorial shares the story of HIV/AIDS as a teaching tool to help educate and raise greater awareness.   We offer healing and hope to survivors and those living with HIV today and help inspire a new generation of leaders to carry the torch against health and social injustice and end the root causes of both.

Importantly, this commemoration honors those we’ve lost, the survivors and the heroes who have been on the frontlines of finding a cure and aiding those in need.  

Out of the darkness came light in the form of love, compassion, social activism, community engagement and a commitment to build allies and movements that become too big to fail. 

JOIN US ON JUNE 5 FOR A NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND TRIBUTES

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On June 5th at 2:30 pm PT/5:30 pm ET, the National AIDS Memorial invites the nation to honor the more than 700,000 lives lost to AIDS, the survivors and the heroes, during the past four decades. During a powerful LiveStream ceremony, leaders of the AIDS movement will provide touching tributes of activism, resilience, hope and remembrance.

JOIN US FOR A DAY OF PUBLIC TRIBUTES AND REMEMBRANCE IN THE GROVE‍

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On June 5th from 12 pm to 6 pm PT the National AIDS Memorial will be open to the public to experience the thousands of names engraved in the Memorial Grove and view 40 Blocks of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on display, symbolic of 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported in the U.S. 

Experience the power of the Quilt and the beauty of the Grove, together on this important day in the history of the AIDS epidemic.

Sign up here for a reserved time to attend and for details about the event. Note:  Due to Covid-19 guidelines masks and social distancing are required with timed entry to prevent gathering. 

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‍40 YEARS ~ 40 STORIES

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Read touching stories of hope, healing, resilience and remembrance through a collection of oral history films, podcasts, photos and personal narratives that shine a light on the heroes, activists, survivors and those we’ve lost during four decades of the AIDS epidemic.

Each story connects to the programs of the National AIDS Memorial — the Grove, the Quilt, our programs and mission to always remember and to help ensure that future generations can learn from the lessons of the past to help shape a brighter future.