We Remember Jaci Adams
All of us in the Mazzoni community were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jaci Dubois Adams, a tireless advocate for the LGBT community and a personal friend to many here in Philadelphia, on February 15. Ms. Jaci, as she was known to many of us, had a long history of volunteering for and working with Mazzoni Center. She had been battling stage four cancer since September 2012, but her illness didn’t stop her from continuing her active schedule of volunteering for countless community organizations, including The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, ActionAIDS, MANNA, Mazzoni Center, and Philadelphia FIGHT.
Ms. Jaci was an inspiration to people of all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life because of her dedication, perseverance, and distinctly energetic brand of activism. In May 2013 Mazzoni Center recognized her with the “Activist Leader” award at our annual Elixir event.
As Mazzoni CEO Nurit Shein noted: "In losing Ms. Jaci, we have lost an activist, a friend, a woman who always spoke her mind, and who was larger than life. Jaci once told me that Mazzoni saved her life, but I know that her strength and her open heart were the attributes that saved her and made her the wonderful soul that she was. She was honest, passionate, and always willing to help. We will miss you, Jaci, and we will continue your work."
Jaci was born in Beckly, West Virginia on December 12, 1957. Soon after her birth her family moved to Philadelphia. She was very public about her struggles: at the age of 9 Jaci ran away from home to escape the abusive environment, and found herself forced to survive on the streets. The ensuing years involved battles with addiction and incarceration, but she was able to pull herself through to recovery, and eventually used her own past experiences to help educate and advocate for others who were facing similar struggles in life.
She served for eleven years on the Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee, which is designed to serve as a bridge between the LGBT communities and the Police Department. In 2012 she was named runner up Person of the Year by the Philadelphia Gay News, who praised her as “an activist who focuses on both HIV and trans-wellness issues yet doesn’t preach from a podium; rather, she gets involved in on-the-streets, one-on-one outreach.”
To view video of Jaci accepting the ‘Activist Leader Award’ at our 2013 Elixir event click here:
Read more about Jaci Adams' remarkable life and work, in this April 2013 profile from the Philadelphia Gay News at: http://bit.ly/1cK9yTH
