#91 - Heroines and Heroes: Latina/o organizing during the 1980s-1990s HIV/AIDS Epidemic

In this segment of The Reality Dysfunction, Juan Carlos Vega and Alex Lozada take over the mic to talk with Memory Activist, Julián de Mayo about his incredible work documenting the AIDS crisis in the late 80s and early 90s, and specifically the work and stories of the Latina/o Caucus of ACT-UP New York. Julián explains the history of a not so inclusive movement and the efforts to record what has been mostly until now a forgotten chapter of the fight against AIDS. ACT-UP stands for AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power and in order to have Spanish-speaking, Latinx, Latin American, trans, and other non-white voices, the ACT-UP Latina/o Caucus of New York emerged. We explore the relevance and importance that organizing and personal narratives from over 40 years ago bring to not just the current and persistent AIDS crisis among people of color in inner cities across the country but to the discussion on how to reduce health disparities among Latinx and other vulnerable populations.  

 

Related Resources & Articles:

• [ES]tatus: the Latino/a Caucus of ACT UP New York Exhibit video     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5RnPIKGs5o&ab_channel=JuliandeMayo
• Latinos ACT UP: Transnational AIDS Activism in the 1990s: https://nacla.org/article/latinos-act-transnational-aids-activism-1990s 
• Article with photos: https://www.latinxproject.nyu.edu/intervenxions/silenciomuerte-an-interview-with-julian-de-mayo-on-the-legacy-of-act-ups-latina/o-caucus
• Conversation between Latina/o Caucus member Alfredo Gonzalez and Dr. Jorge Pérez Ávila on Cuba's HIV sanatoriums for NACLA: https://nacla.org/news/2017/11/29/cuba%E2%80%99s-hiv-sanatoriums-prisons-or-public-health-tool 
• Julián’s Soundcloud with some interviews: https://soundcloud.com/julian-de-mayo 
• For more information, contact: demayo.j@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: @j_deMayo