Sewn in Memory

 

•    I enjoyed visiting the Sewn in Memory exhibit at Spurlock last week. It was interesting to look at panels made in memory of those who died of AIDS. It surprised me, though, that there were panels made by individuals who did not know those who died of AIDS and that there were panels made for people that the museum has no additional information about. Something that was striking to me was seeing a panel (Mike’s) that was made by another person who had a panel (Stephen). This was especially difficult knowing that someone made a panel for their friend that died of AIDS then they died of that same illness. 

  This exhibit put things in perspective about the AIDS epidemic and its connection to our community in Champaign-Urbana. For a while, growing up, I only thought of AIDS existing in popular, urban cities, such as Chicago and New York City. I never really put it in perspective that any person, including those in more rural areas, could contract it. I think that this exhibit is beneficial at educating not only the youth, but adults living in Champaign-Urbana about those affected by AIDS in our community. It not only honors the individual's legacy, but it also provides a resource for those living with HIV/AIDS in our community. 

  A similarity that I noticed between the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic was that when both viruses were discovered, there was very little information about how to treat them. There was also very minimal testing initially to figure out who had the viruses. In addition to this, there was a very large stigma around those who contracted the illness in the beginning of the epidemic and pandemic. The stigma around these viruses surrounded those in minority groups such as LGBTQ+ people and Asian people. Despite this, the coverage of these viruses and their legacies largely surround those in the majority and in privilege.