Existing comment:
Culture of the Quilt: The Power of Names:
The NAMES Project Foundation was established by a group of strangers in San Francisco who came together to make certain that the names of loved ones lost to AIDS would not be forgotten. Whenever The AIDS Memorial Quilt is on display, the names commemorated on each of its panels are read aloud. Many cultures believe that an individual remains a part of the community even after death as long as he/she is remembered. The public reading of the names of those who have died from AIDS is a way to keep their memory alive and to ensure that individuals are remembered by name, rather than as statistics in the AIDS death count.
At the beginning of the Call My Name quilting workshops, which are focused on African American communities, there is often a libation and a calling of names before the quilting starts. During a libation, liquid is poured in memory of those who have "transitioned," or died, while their names are said aloud. After someone says a name, the group answers with ase, an African word meaning "and so it will be," as a bestowal of power and assurance that the speakers' blessings be carried forth. |