00930

"Who Has The Power"
[edited] [14 minutes] [Suzanne Wright and Gerry Albarelli]

"Who Has the Power" contains footage documenting the ACT UP protests against Cook County Hospital in Chicago, April 23, 1990 [credited photography by Gerry Albarelli and Suzanne Wright ].

[videotext appearing at beginning of tape: ]
On April 23, 1990, ACT UP/ New York participated in a national demonstration in Chicago calling for National Health Care and denouncing the discriminatory policies of major insurance companies. The state of AIDS care at Cook County Hospital -- a hospital low income families, men and women rely on -- was also a target of the demonstration. The response of the police was to try to "contain" the demonstration -- to keep demonstrators from taking the streets. When they were unable to do that, the police reacted with brutality and violence.

[from the ACT UP Capsule History: ]
April 20-23, 1990 -- ACT UP activists from all over the country converge on Chicago to target the national headquarters of the American Medical Association (AMA) and health insurance companies also headquartered there. Women activists take over the intersection in front of Cook county Hospital with mattresses, declaring it the "Cook County Women's AIDS Unit" since no women with AIDS are allowed treatment in the hospital. The Cook County Hospital AIDS Unit admits its first women two days later. A People of Color Conference also convenes to discuss and coordinate AIDS activism in diverse communites.