Dreaming Big

In The Making of an Activist: Stitching a Revolution, Cleve Jones describes how the NAMES Project came to exist. I found myself mesmerized by how Jones weaves in the personal stories of his close friends and colleagues not to mention his own story, which serves to both inspire and spark the project. The pain of losing friends and family members in such a tight-knit community catalyzed an artistic movement that “would put a face on statistics and change the world” (p. xiv).

Jones asserts, “I believed that when we unfolded thousands of quilts on the National Mall, the stony walls of Congress would come tumbling down and the nation would awaken—that our quilt, my quilt, would crash through the fear and intolerance” (p. xv). Many of Jones’ closest allies doubted the project would succeed.

What prompts artists to dream big in the face of daunting challenges? What keeps them going and how can leaders learn from the perseverance, determination, and commitment of Cleve Jones and the founders of the NAMES project?

Check out this website for information on the AIDS Memorioal Quilt and the NAMES
project:

http://www.aidsquilt.org/index.htm