DiAna's Hair Ego: AIDS Info Up Front

Recognizing the extreme inadequacy of information on AIDS prevention, cosmetologist DiAna DiAna, with her partner Dr. Bambi Sumpter, took on the task of educating the black community (which makes up the majority of local AIDS cases) in Columbia, South Carolina. This video documents the growth of the South Carolina AIDS Education Network, which originated and operates in DiAna’s Hair Ego, DiAna’s beauty salon. Working in repressive times to teach a sex-positive and compassionate response to the AIDS crisis in the “buckle of the Bible Belt,” the work of the South Carolina AIDS Education Network has met with harsh criticism. Despite political pressure, DiAna and Sumpter refuse to compromise their teachings in order to get state funding. Since 1986 they have been operating solely on the beauty shop's tips. Their creative strategies and non-judgemental concern offer a model for making a difference.