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CNN Sunday Morning

Thousands March on Washington 20 Years After Aids Discovery

Aired June 03, 2001 - 10:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of people are marching on Washington today. Their cause: the fight against AIDS. They are rallying to mark the 20th anniversary of the discover of the deadly virus. And joining us from Washington now, amid the reading of the names of the AIDS victims, CNN's Christy Feig -- Christy.

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brian, we're at Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, where the reading of the names from the AIDS quilt has been underway since early Friday morning.

Now, this is a tradition anytime they lay out part of the AIDS quilt. You see, the AIDS quilt is now the size of 50 football fields, much too large to layout in its entirely. It is 80,000 names, a mere snapshot of the 450,000 Americans who have died since this epidemic began.

Now, as we mark the 20th year, 12 AIDS organizations are joining together to launch a national prevention campaign. One of those is the Whitman Walker Clinic, based here in Washington, D.C. Joining us now is their executive director, Cornelius Baker.

Cornelius, thanks for joining us. What can we expect with this new national prevention campaign and when will we see it?

CORNELIUS BAKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHITMAN WALKER CLINIC: Well, what we hope that we'll expect is that Americans will again reengage in HIV, that we will think about the prevention efforts that we need, that we will recommit ourselves to caring for those that are infected, and that we will remember those 430 -- 450,000 Americans who have died of AIDS.

And you will see us everywhere. You will see it on billboards in 44 states across the country. You will see PSAs on radio and television stations. You will see editorials in newspapers. You will be blitzed by this, because that's really what we need. We're in a war on this epidemic and we need to have a blitz. And we need to redouble our efforts.

FEIG: We're 20 years into this epidemic now. Why is this campaign necessary now and why is this AIDS organization doing it?

BAKER: Well, you know, it has been 20 years and we have new treatments now. Many Americans think we're at the end of this, and really what we're at is the end of the beginning of this. Not only the epidemic here at home, which we see rising in young gay men again, but there are 36 million people worldwide that are infected and in Africa and India, Russia, the infections are all rising. And we have to turn that around.

FEIG: In the United States right now, where are some of the groups who are seeing the newest infections, the rising numbers of infections?

BAKER: Well, we definitely see a dramatic rise in young gay men, particularly black gay men around the country. And we've got to get a message to those communities, that this is deadly. That this is important, that they take the prevention steps necessary to prevent it.

FEIG: Now, at noon here at this park, people will leave here and march down the mall to the west front of the Capital. It's there this afternoon at 2:00 there will be a rally. And at that rally, they'll be accepting new panels for the AIDS quilt -- Brian.

NELSON: Thank you, CNN's Christy Feig at Lafayette Park in Washington. We appreciate that.

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