On Saturday June 26, 2021 from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT,  Georgia Equality, in partnership with The Tubman Museum, Fort Valley State University P.R.I.D.E. Navigator and Compass CARES, will host an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of AIDS at the Tubman Museum at 310 Cherry St, Macon, GA 31201. 

According to the CDC, “June 2021 marks 40 years since the first official reporting…of five cases describing what later became known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and what is now HIV Stage III. On this 40th anniversary, we remember the more than 32 million people who have died from HIV worldwide since the start of the global epidemic, the 38 million people currently living with HIV, and the more than 56,000 people living with HIV in Georgia.” 

In recognition of this anniversary, there will be free HIV testing along with a community conversation with local advocates, experts, and people living with HIV. Following the conversation, there will be food provided by Hank’s Food Truck and a special appearance by 101.7’s Mamma Mia. Admission to the Tubman will be free.

On exhibit is a self-guided photography collection, African Americans Responding to the AIDS Crisis: 1981-1991, which captures the personal stories of activists, caregivers, health professionals, community leaders, and people living with HIV through the first years of the epidemic. The goal is to preserve the memories and the work of those who were often directly affected by AIDS. The exhibit closes June 30, 2021.