White House Displays the AIDS Memorial Quilt: Observing World AIDS Day Through the Largest Community Arts Project in History

Pia Diamandis -

The White House, the US Presidential residence, has just commemorated World AIDS Day for the first time by displaying 124 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The quilt project was first displayed in Washington DC in 1987, just one year before the first World AIDS Day. Then, 48 volunteers unfolded an astounding 1,920 panels at the National Mall, visualizing the sheer number of Americans whose lives were lost to HIV/AIDS during the AIDS crisis.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at the White House in accordance with the 2024 World AIDS Day. Image courtesy of @aidsmemorialquilt/Instagram.

Now, the project has grown to chronicle the lives of over 110,000 individuals who were lost to HIV/AIDS. The quilt currently weighs 54 tons, making it the world’s largest community art project created by over 50,000 volunteer artists. President Joe Biden’s acknowledgment of the monumental project is a symbol of the continued need to fight HIV/AIDS. Governments worldwide should continue to give patients access to proper care, prevent infections for at-risk populations and work to destigmatize the disease. This is why the work that the AIDS Memorial Quilt does is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Reduced Inequalities and Good Health And Well-Being.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed on the National Mall in 1987. Image courtesy of @aidsmemorialquilt/Instagram.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt was first created in 1985 by Cleve Jones, a gay rights activist from San Francisco, who put it together as a memorial for his lost loved ones. As families and friends continued the project, they felt that it was important to continue for the future and founded the NAMES Project Foundation, which was then responsible for displaying the quilt in 1987 at the National March for Gay and Lesbian Lives. Today, the project is also available for online viewing on a dedicated website.

President Joe Biden (left) and First Lady Jill Biden (right) introducing the AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at the White House in accordance with the 2024 World AIDS Day. Image courtesy of @aidsmemorialquilt/Instagram.

The display of 124 panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt at the White House for the 2024 World AIDS Day serves as a powerful reminder of the lives lost during the AIDS crisis and the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS. President Biden’s recognition of the quilt underscores the importance of continuing efforts to provide equitable healthcare, prevent infections and combat stigma. Hence, the AIDS Memorial Quilt is both a profound tribute to those we have lost and a call to action for a future free from HIV/AIDS.

Find out more about the AIDS Memorial Quilt and their initiatives on their website www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt or Instagram @aidsmemorialquilt.