History of the Quilt
The NAMES AID Memorial Quilt is a massive community folk arts project that served as one of the most powerful activist tools used during the height of the AIDS pandemic. The idea for the quilt was started by a gay rights activist Cleve Jones in November 1985. Although the build up was in 1987 in which it was displayed in the federal building in Washington, in which the concept was built to display it around the world.
The sheer size and clout of the quilt has made it impossible to deny the impact of this illness, and that the illness wasn't limited to specific communities, defeating the negative stigma.
The display of the Project NAMES AIDS Memorial Quilt was in the National Mall on October 11, 1987 during the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. During the National March millions of people visit and volunteer, which came out as a tradition to read the names of the people on the panels of the quilt.
Despite the initial display at the National Mall, the idea was to be able to show the quilt all over the world. This would raise awareness everywhere, and highlight the severity of the disease as well as crush the negative stigmas that developed in the first years of the disease.