Takeshi Moro Exhibits Lives in Picture: Positivity Exhibit
Photography to Illuminate the Lives in Picture
Mitch Grieb
Assistant Professor Takeshi Moro was featured in the 2014 President's Report. With the inspiration of Manuel Monzon, a social worker with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, brought to life the stories of 10 Silicon Valley residents living with HIV/AIDS through photography. Starting as a roundtable discussion on campus, Monzon brought up the idea of storytelling to educate the public on the real diversity and vitality of the lives of people living with the disease to eliminate the stigma attached and to keep people from being discouraged to get the help they need. With the encouragement of Journalist Sally Lehrman, senior fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, the idea took form and Moro’s photography class accepted the challenge. The Picture: Positivity project developed strong and profoundly connected relationships between the students and the people they photographed. The positive change that was brought about from this project has sure signified the importance of knowledge to encourage hope in the lives of many living with HIV/AIDS and even more acceptance by those who did not understand before.