Founded by Richard L. Zaldivar on December 1, 1993, The Wall Las Memorias Project was established to commemorate those who died from AIDS and address HIV/AIDS-related stigma within Los Angeles’s Latino community. The organization has since expanded its work to include HIV prevention, health education, substance use prevention, and advocacy for underserved communities.

The project’s central focus was the construction of a permanent AIDS memorial in Lincoln Park, located in Lincoln Heights. A community advisory board selected the site in 1993 for its cultural and historical significance to the Latino community and its proximity to the Rand Schrader AIDS Clinic at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center. Following an eleven-year campaign that encountered opposition rooted in homophobia and HIV/AIDS stigma, the monument was dedicated on December 1, 2004, World AIDS Day. It became the first publicly funded AIDS monument in the United States [Discover LA].

Designed by architect David Angelo and public artist Robin Brailsford, the approximately 9,000-square-foot monument takes the form of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent associated with rebirth in Aztec mythology. Its eight wall panels include six murals depicting experiences of HIV/AIDS within the Latino community and two granite panels inscribed with the names of people who died from AIDS-related complications. The murals were created by Southern California artists associated with Self Help Graphics & Art in Boyle Heights. The monument also incorporates a stainless steel archway, benches, and landscaped gardens intended for reflection and remembrance.

The monument remains an active memorial, with additional names inscribed and unveiled during Noche de las Memorias (Night of Memories), an annual commemoration held on World AIDS Day. In 2021, the site underwent an approximately $850,000 renovation that included new landscaping, walkways, lighting, and irrigation infrastructure.

The Wall Las Memorias Project continues to operate as a community health and advocacy organization, using the monument as a focal point for HIV/AIDS remembrance, public education, and efforts to address health disparities in Los Angeles.

Note: The year open date refers to the year the site was chosen and the project began. The memorial was dedicated in 2004.