Little Havana Initiative's
WORLD AIDS DAY MURAL

Dedication on

Tuesday, December 2^nd, 1997 at noon

at

SW 3^rd Street and 12^th Avenue

(across from Riverside Elementary School's basketball courts)

WORLD AIDS DAY MURAL 1997 Little Havana Initiative's Mural Dedication Ceremony

The Little Havana Initiative's WORLD AIDS DAY Mural was created by Little Havana youth and family members, Health Department employees, and individuals involved with local non-profit groups to generate awareness about the disease and to educate those at risk of HIV-infection. The collaborative mural project was sponsored by: The Dade County Health Department, Regis House, a community-based organization serving families in need, and Vecinos en Accion (VEA), a neighborhood-based advocacy organization.

The message-laden mural was created on November 30th and December 1st, under the guidance of artist Xavier Cortada, a long-time resident of the community. "It is inspiring to see families work paintbrush to paintbrush with their children on a topic long thought to be taboo in the Hispanic community," said Cortada. "As we were painting, community members would walk by and talk among themselves about AIDS and AIDS prevention." On the first day, youth who were hanging out by the basketball courts across the street, crossed over and painted two Spanish-language messages on the wall:

"el SIDA ¡ sí da !"
(AIDS does affect)

Solo Afecta Hombres, Mujeres y Niños
(AIDS only affects men, women and children)

On December 2nd, 1997 at noon, these participants will join Dade Health Department Administrator Annie Neasman in dedicating this AIDS education mural. A community luncheon will follow at the Esquina de Tejas restaurant (12^th Avenue and SW 1^st Street).

For more information about the mural and prevention efforts in Little Havana please contact Dr. Javier Romero at 305-377-5022, or by fax at 377-5108. right © 1997 by Xavier Cortada. All rights reserved.
Revised: 14 Mar 2004 18:56 -0500.