Celebrating Voices: Our Inspiration

For some of us, no piece of American folk art has carried the weight, meaning or impact of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.  It remains a singular and nonreplicable achievement . . . monumental in both scale and emotional depth.

As we stand on the edge of profound political and civic change, the AIDS Quilt has inspired us to begin the Quilt for Democracy Project.  It will never match the AIDS Quilt in size, inclusivity or deep personal resonance.  But the hope is to channel people's histories, beliefs, frustrations and dreams into something tangible and unifying.

The Quilt for Democracy Project reminds us that our nation embraces certain ideals -- equality, liberty, justice, inclusivity and consent of the governed.  This project invites us to reflect on our values, shared history and connectedness.

Squares reflect contributors' unique responses to the statement This is what democracy looks like.