(violin music plays)
[TOM RASMUSSEN] The work to begin the AIDS
Memorial Pathway
started about seven years ago
when I was a member of the city council.
We have three goals.
One is to create a place of reflection and remembrance,
and that's what we have here on Capitol Hill,
to sell the story of HIV/AIDS in our community
and then call people to action to fight discrimination
and stigma.
♪♪
So these are signs that were inspired by...
protest signs were used
in the demonstrations in downtown Seattle.
♪♪
It was a time of confusion and fear,
and there were no medications and no treatment
that was really effective to save people's lives.
When a person had HIV/AIDS, it really was fatal
in all cases
up until about 1996.
This is a Chinese scholar tree, and the Chinese scholar
tree inspired the artwork called the “Names Tree.”
If you use augmented reality and aim it at the tree,
it will blossom
and then the names of people will be recited.
-S. Ramelli.
Jack D. “Doug” McDonald.
Paul Henry Peterson
Ron Crampton.
James Francis Leach.
[WAKEFIELD] They're not just memories,
they're not just names we remember,
but they're people who gave
us our strength that we have for being who we are today.
And it's really important that
we capture the city of Seattle
and capture this moment now for the city of Seattle.
[TOM RASMUSSEN] This is the third piece in his
“Ribbons of Light” collection.
Well, I think it's really important
for the community to know that something very,
very significant happened here in Seattle.
It's a
it's not only a story of loss
and fear, but it's also a story of courage
and a wonderful response of the community to help people
in great need.
(inspiring music)