AIDS Quilt Community Day

The Griot Museum of Black History is hosting AIDS Quilt Community Day on Saturday, October 17, from 12 PM to 5 PM. It's a free, interactive afternoon spent making quilt panels to memorialize people who died with HIV/AIDS in the St. Louis area, like Robert Rayford. You're encouraged to bring the names and stories of your own loved ones lost to the disease, so the panels can hold more than just a name.

If you've never touched a needle in your life, don't let that stop you. No quilting experience is needed, and experienced quilters Ms. Adelia Parker-Castro and Ms. Edna Patterson-Patty will be on hand throughout the afternoon to offer in-person support. Refreshments are served while you work, so you can take your time and stay as long as you like.

At 1 PM, the making pauses for a short program featuring poet Donnie Moreland, poet Jason Vasser-Elong, and scholar Dr. Shanti Parikh. It's a moment to step back from the sewing and hear from a few voices before getting back to the panels.

The day is co-produced with the collective What Would an HIV Doula Do? and supported by A Blade of Grass, Knowledge of AIDS, and Washington University in St. Louis. You'll find it at The Griot Museum of Black History, 2505 Saint Louis Ave. in North City. It's free, from 12 PM to 5 PM.