In June of 1987, a small group in San Francisco met to document the lives they feared history would forget. The goal was to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS, and help people understand the impact of AIDS.
The Quilt is a strong reminder of the AIDS pandemic. friends, lovers and family members have created over 48,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels — most commemorating the life of someone who has died of AIDS.