The Dear Rosa Project

I lead a weekly storytelling group at the Salon, a transitional home for women living at the intersection of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. The home has created a thriving sisterhood. Over the years we have seen women become grandmothers, mothers, friends, find meaningful employment, participate in service to their communities, and become advocates. At the end of each group we all write a letter to ourselves. We've found that storytelling is a vital medicine.

In 2022, I got news that an incredible Salon sister named Rosa had passed away. A few months later, a large brown envelope with no return address was delivered to my door. It was full of the letters our dear Rosa–a vibrant, beautiful, big light–had been telling in group for years.

We want the joy, possibility, and capacity Rosa found within herself and within her story to be something that we can help other women who are living at the intersection of HIV/DV to find within themselves.

It is Rosa who has inspired this project, and it is her message we seek to bring to others.

There are so many barriers to women–survivors– being able to share their story. We need every hand on deck to help us figure out how to create more, creative, supportive, connective opportunities for storytelling. We hope that these interviews will help us to develop a creative framework that supports building bridges of connection where there has been silence.

The Dear Rosa Project is dedicated to 1) finding better ways and 2) creating more access for women living with HIV/DV to tell their story in community.

Dear Rosa is a two-year project funded in gracious support by the NJ Council for the Humanities.