Artist and Activist, Soraida Martinez, and Actor, Rosie Perez, at AIDS Conference in Miami Beach

PR Log (Press Release) – Aug 14, 2007 – Since 1992, Soraida Martinez has been raising awareness of the social issues that until recently have been considered too taboo to be discussed in mainstream American society. Sexism, racism, stereotyping, health care and family relationships are some of the subjects that Soraida addresses in her hardedge abstract paintings with written social commentaries, which she calls Verdadism.

For the 2007 National Conference on Latinos and AIDS, Soraida created the Verdadism painting, “Latinas and the Unspoken Taboo Killer, AIDS.” According to Soraida’s written social commentary:

”I tell people that one doesn't have to have AIDS to be active in an epidemic that is killing people everyday. One should get educated and be aware of all health issues. We cannot wait for the government to help us...let’s face it...the government already wishes that all Latinos would just go away.

Many Latinos don't want to realize that this is a disease that should be acknowledged and dealt with. Traditional Latino culture doesn't want to deal with this because AIDS is considered a very taboo subject. Mainly because of the label that the Catholic Church has for years put on the disease: that only ‘gays’ and ‘drug users’ get AIDS. The reality of it all  that AIDS may be in your life one day: straight, educated, good looking, married, family oriented, church abiding people get AIDS too.

We are all human beings and one never knows when a family member may get AIDS. The way I look at this, when people are dying, as human beings, we should all care. As nurturers of the home, Latinas should get active in their communities and take the stigma out of this serious health issue.

Lets make sure that we educate our children; education is the key to stopping AIDS.  Education will help curtail the ever-growing number of Latinos affected everyday with AIDS. My feeling is that AIDS is going to be the biggest epidemic that Latinos are going to face in this century. We have many Latino immigrants coming to the US everyday that may already be affected with AIDS and don’t know it…and, yes, what we don't know is going to hurt us.”

Soraida is nationally recognized as a socially conscious artist who promotes tolerance and understanding. Through this Verdadism painting, Soraida hopes to bring more attention to the AIDS epidemic that is affecting Latinos. For information on the socially conscious art of Soraida Martinez, visit www.soraida.com.