Memorial collage of Jaci Adams photographs / typed biography of Jaci Adams
Item
-
Title
-
Memorial collage of Jaci Adams photographs / typed biography of Jaci Adams
-
Description
-
This memorial collage of Jaci DuBoise Adams features eight overlapping color photographs– two of Adams alone smiling, and the remaining of Adams smiling in small groups of people. On the back of the frame is a biography of Adams’ life, highlighting her resilience, many accomplishments, and relentless leadership and advocacy for the Philadelphia trans community and HIV/AIDS issues.
-
Jaci DuBoise Adams (1958-February 15, 2014) was born in Beckley, West Virginia and moved to Philadelphia in her youth with her family (AIDS Law Project 2014). Unfortunately Adams experienced such abuse that she “fled the house in search of safety” at age nine (AIDS Law Project 2014). Adams was “soon consumed by a life of prostitution, drug abuse and crime while searching for an identity” (AIDS Law Project 2014). She landed in prison, and earned her GED (AIDS Law Project 2014). In 2002 after the unsolved murder of Nizah Morris, a 47 year old transgender entertainer that was found brutally beaten at 15th and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia, Adams shared that she had “an ‘a-ha’ moment and decided that instead of being angry, maybe a career criminal like [her] could use that familiarity with the cops to slither in and become part of the solution” (Morrison 2014). Known to be genuine, accomplished yet immensely humble, to speak and teach from her vast life experience, and incredibly kind, Adams was held in high regard by many– from city officials such as Michael Nutter, to long-time friends, to folks she just met and was lending support to (AIDS Law Project 2014).
As highlighted in Adams’ biography on the back of the frame, Adams was a “transgender Philadelphia-based activist who was most well-known for advocacy of trans and HIV/AIDS issues.” She was on the planning committee for the Morris Home and Philadelphia Trans-health Conference, a founding member of Temple University’s Community Advisory Board, a member of Philadelphia FIGHT, the AIDS Law Project, the LGBT Elder Initiative, and the longest-serving member of the Philadelphia Police LGBT Liaison Committee as well as a supporter of many other city departments as it pertained to LGBT or HIV/AIDS advocacy. Adams also worked with many volunteer organizations (AIDS Law Project 2014).
Though Adams was diagnosed with AIDS in 1983, it was cancer that took her life at age 56 in 2014 (AIDS Law Project 2014). At this time, she was living in West Philadelphia (Morrison 2014).
-
Discover more about Jaci DuBoise Adams’ impact on the City of Philadelphia in this tribute written in 2014 by Mayor Michael A. Nutter in the Black Joy & Resilience collection
-
Contributor
-
John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives at William Way LGBT Community Center
-
Date Created
-
2014
-
Creator
-
Unknown
-
Rights
-
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/
-
Identifier
-
Ms. Coll. 59
-
Language
-
eng
-
Format
-
Image
-
Extent
-
2 pages
-
Spatial Coverage
-
Philadelphia, PA
-
Publisher
-
William Way LGBT Center
-
Is Part Of
-
Jaci Adams memorial collection, 2012-2014
-
Subject
-
LGBT activism
-
Philadelphia (Pa.)
-
HIV/AIDS activists
-
Transgender women
-
African American transgender people
