On February 12, WACO Theater Center, in partnership with Gilead Sciences, Inc., celebrated the launch of Still Here at The Gathering Spot in West Adams. The evening featured a dynamic panel, light bites, and powerful community conversation.
Led by Editor-in-Chief Jamilah Lemieux, the publication boldly centers Black women impacted by HIV, with cover star Rae Lewis-Thornton continuing her legacy of breaking stigma. WACO Theater Center Artistic Director Tina Knowleswas in attendance, affirming the project’s deeply personal mission. Contributors Sylvia Obell and Daria Cottinghamjoined moderator Deborah Wafer of Gilead Sciences, Inc. for a candid and urgent discussion.
The urgency is clear: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023 Black women accounted for 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S., despite representing just 13% of the female population and were diagnosed at 11 times the rate of white non-Hispanic women.
Still Here is more than a magazine it’s a multimedia movement sparking education, dialog, and action. Next up: a multi-city tour this spring for STILL HERE LIVE, bringing the experience beyond the page and into communities.
(Photos Credit: Cécile Boku)
