By Michael Bongiorni–
The Quilt was invited to be displayed in the rotunda of the Atlanta, Georgia, City Hall. The event focused on the impact of AIDS on the African American community in the early 2000s. The speakers included Atlantans living with AIDS, Coretta Scott King, Representative John Lewis, and Cleve Jones.
At the time, I was serving as director of operations. The event went off flawlessly. Cleve and I stepped outside. We got into one of our very animated “discussions” about some future strategy for the Quilt. We were both strongly stating our positions. Suddenly, I felt an embrace.
As Cleve and I turned, John Lewis was hugging us. He said to both of us, “I know love and passion when I see it.” He gave us another squeeze and moved on.
Michael Bongiorni is an HIV/AIDS longtime survivor and volunteer organizer for the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt who previously served as the Interim Director of Quilt Operations for the nonprofit.
Honoring Cleve Jones at 70
Published on October 3, 2024
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