Mission

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We’re tired of having to tell our stories on the down low.

We know that our testimony will help others affirm—and save—their lives.

We want to share our experience with you through dance, music, theater, and the spoken word.

We want to give back to our communities both on stage and off.

We are Smoke, Lilies and Jade.

Our work will move you.

 

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Our brothers and sisters are suffering.

They’re also hungry.

They are suffering from the continuing scourge of HIV/AIDS. African Americans are overrepresented among those infected with HIV (44% of the nearly 438,000 Americans infected in 2005, according to the CDC). And the incidence of AIDS among African Americans continues to grow rapidly.Many of these people are gay, lesbian, and bisexual. They are hungry for others to accept them as they are and embrace them as fellow human beings. They are hungry to hear their stories told in a way that entertains, educates, and provokes thought.

The mission of the Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative is to tell those stories. By bringing our lives out into the open on stage in all their complexity, we promote understanding, unity, and an increased sense of pride while exposing African-Americans and the larger community to the brothers and sisters they have kept hidden. We then use these stories to help those who must bear the daily burdens of living with HIV and AIDS, to support organizations that reach out to youth in search of a welcoming embrace, and to inspire everyone to take responsibility for their own and their loved ones’ lives