L.A.'s 'Wall Las Memorias' monument reaches a milestone

25th Anniversary of Wall Las Memorias honors members of community who died from AIDS

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - Year after year they arrive and place the name of their loved ones on the "The Wall Las Memorias" Monument in Lincoln Park. The day of remembrance is December 1st, World AIDS Day. The procession is made up of gays and straights, families and singles. Most are Latino. All are here to honor a friend, a family member, a partner who died of AIDS complications. I've been present at most of those dedications and am always moved by the personal accounts. They are grateful their loved ones are not forgotten.

In the early 90's, when the AIDS epidemic was just beginning to sweep the country, a young Richard Zaldivar was watching and listening. Zaldivar was a community activist who had learned about consensus building from the late Los Angeles City Councilman Art Snyder. He noticed the discussion on HIV AIDS was being framed as almost only a gay white mans' epidemic. People of color were being left out. And so he went to work.

After years of meetings, hand holding and hand wringing the Wall Las Memorias took a physical form. It rises proudly in Lincoln Park accented by original art. It’s more than a monument. It represents knowledge over bigotry. Love over hate. And in about three months this monument will get a reboot. More families will be able to remember loved ones who passed. The monument has a decidedly Latino feel, because of course HIV AIDS does not discriminate. Many Latino lives were claimed. Maybe this year, you will join us on “ World AIDS Day.” It’s an evening of solidarity and dedication.