Keynote Speaker: Rae Lewis Thornton – Aging with HIV/AIDS – CU Pride

Rae Lewis-Thornton is an Emmy Award winning AIDS activist and renown social justice advocate. Rae received national acclaim for her story of living with HIV/AIDS in the Essence Magazine December 1994 issue. She is credited with changing the face of AIDS for Black women in America. For three decades Rae has traveled worldwide educating and challenging stigma around HIV/AIDS. She will be featured in an up-coming OWN documentary on Essence Magazine and Black Women. Rae earned a Master of Divinity Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary. Rae graduated Cum Laude from Northeastern Illinois University where she received the distinguished alumnae award. She is currently working on a Doctorate of Ministry at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Rae has written three books: Amazing Grace: Letters Along My Journey, The Politics of Respectability, and her bestselling life story, Unprotected: A Memoir. Rae continues to speak across the country on HIV/AIDS, childhood trauma, and surviving and healing from trauma.UrbanaUrba