Rae Lewis-Thornton was first diagnosed with the HIV virus at the age of 23, when she donated blood for a blood drive that she helped to organize in 1986. During a visit to the N.C. A&T State University campus, Thornton spoke frankly about her illness.Her visit was sponsored by the Office of Student Activities and the Center for Student Success. Thornton had previously visited the campus nearly three years ago.She told the crowd gathered in Harrison Auditorium that she did not know who exactly infected her. “I don’t know who infected me nor do I care… I made the choice to have sex… I can’t stand here and blame someone else, instead I choose to stand here and be a woman and except the consequences, she said.”Thornton developed full-blown AIDS seven years ago and is now on a regimen of 18 pills a day that cost her nearly $3,000 dollars a month.As she spoke, Thornton continued to reiterate that she was not here to preach the standard AIDS prevention message.”I didn’t come here to save your life,” said Thornton. “What I came here to do is to give you my information with the hope that you’ll take it and do something different about your own life.” She also discussed her experience living with AIDS and the many opportunities that she has received as a result, some of which included winning an Emmy Awar.d, appearing on the cover of Essence Magazine in 1994, and numerous appearances on television and radio shows.However, Thornton was quick to note that all of these things could do little to prevent her from dying. “My Emmy award can’t save my life,” she said. “There are a lot of pretty women who could also be on the cover of Essence but I would give it all up if it meant I could have my life back.”Just as sure as I’m standing here…I’m dying.”Thornton credits her survival to the fact that she found out about her HIV status early. She urged everyone, especially African-Americans, to get tested. When asked about the AIDS epidemic consuming the continent of Africa. Thornton said, “It is sad and overwhelming. It is equal to the Holocaust in Germany. One in five people are infected and in some countries the life expectancy is only 25 years. “Over half of the HIV cases in the world are in sub-Sahara Africa. It is devastating.”She urged that more political pressure be put on the United States government and pharmaceutical companies, noting especially that the AIDS drug AZT is not available in Africa. This despite the fact that it is rarely used here in the United States anymore.”We are looking at genocide on the continent of Africa…it is very real,” said Thornton.Tateisha Prince, a junior nursing major from Gaston, was among those in the audience impressed by the speaker’s courage.”She didn’t hide anything…she’s a very strong woman and I admire her for her courageous nature.” Marcus Lesane, a freshmen political science major from Winston-Salem, admitted, “I had never heard of her before now. She kept it real and she schooled me to a lot things that I didn’t know about AIDS.”Michelle Coles, a senior computer science major from Atlanta, said, “Ms. Thornton is truly an inspiration to me and the African-American community. ..she didn’t give up on herself or her life just because she became HIV-positive. ..she’s a fighter.”In the nearly 15 years since she contracted HIV, Thornton has filled many roles besides that of AIDS activist and motivational speaker. She has served as Sen. Carol Mosley Braun’s 1992 senatorial campaign advance coordinator, national youth director for Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns, and Illinois State youth coordinator for the 1988 Dukakis presidential campaign. In 1993, she retired from politics. Thornton is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Currently, Thornton is completing her doctoral studies at Northwestern University’s Garrett Evangelical Seminary and has plans to write a book.