Living Proof & Zero HIV Stigma Day

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From Stories of Triumph to an Emmy Nomination: Living Proof Advances the Fight Against HIV Stigma 

On Zero HIV Stigma Day, Living Proof Earns National Recognition with Daytime Emmy Nomination

As we recognize Zero HIV Stigma Day, the Emory COMPASS Coordinating Center (ECCC) is proud to celebrate the Daytime Emmy Award nomination of Living Proof, the 2025 Hulu World AIDS Day special that demonstrates the power of authentic storytelling to challenge HIV stigma and elevate the voices of people with lived experience.

The documentary follows the inspiring journeys of Freda Jones and Kennedi Lowman, co-founders of  Social Development (Loving Ourselves Through Unity and Strength), an Emory COMPASS partner organization. Through their personal stories, Living Proof shines a light on resilience, leadership, and the realities of living with HIV as Black women in the U.S. South by replacing stereotypes with understanding and inspiring hope through truth.

For the Emory COMPASS Coordinating Center, the recognition is especially meaningful because the documentary’s origins can be traced directly to ECCC’s Stories of Triumph project. Created to celebrate the voices, leadership, and impact of individuals and organizations advancing HIV equity across the South, Stories of Triumph featured Freda and Kennedi in its portrait exhibition and forthcoming companion table book. Their powerful story resonated deeply, inspiring them becoming the central voices and heartbeats of Living Proof.

The project also reflects the leadership of the Emory COMPASS community behind the scenes. Candace Meadows, of the Emory COMPASS Coordinating Center, served as Executive Producer, helping guide the documentary from concept to completion. The film also reunited several contributors connected to Stories of Triumph, including acclaimed photojournalist Sean Black, who served as a Producer, and features interview appearances from Dean M. Fallin and Dr. Natalie Crawford of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.

The Emmy nomination is more than recognition of an outstanding documentary, it is a reminder that stories have the power to change hearts and minds. At a time when HIV stigma continues to create barriers to care, authentic storytelling helps foster empathy, challenge misconceptions, and amplify the voices of communities too often overlooked.

On Zero HIV Stigma Day, this recognition reinforces the mission that has guided Emory COMPASS from the beginning: investing in community leadership, elevating lived experience, and using storytelling as a catalyst for health equity and social change. We congratulate the entire Living Proof team on this remarkable achievement and celebrate everyone whose courage to share their story continues to move the HIV movement forward.

This Zero HIV Stigma Day, stream Living Proof on Hulu and discover how authentic storytelling can replace stigma with understanding and hope.