(Image Via Facebook/Shoana Clarke Solomon)

Soon after news of Thomas Eric Duncan’s (R.I.P.) positive test result for Ebola, Carolyn Woahloe, a Registered Nurse who lives and works in Dallas experienced being taunted with: “Go back to Liberia.”.

Yesterday in Boston, a sick Haitian woman riding the train was misidentified by a 911 caller as a “Liberian woman with Ebola”, resulting in the MBTA temporarily shutting down nearby stations.

#IamaLiberianNotaVirus is a social media campaign started by four women in order to educate the public and end the stigma of Ebola. The campaign features a powerful video by Shoana Clarke Solomon, a Liberian photographer, TV host, and mentor.

Solomon recently spoke the The Root about the campaign and stigma surrounding Ebola, and where that stigma might come from,

I place no blame on anyone for the stigma. It’s bound to happen, especially when people don’t take the time to learn the facts. Ebola is a deadly virus that people know very little about. Radio and television are bombarding our homes with news about Ebola every minute. It’s accompanied by dramatic music and scary images. People are hearing about all the deaths and not paying attention to how you actually get the virus. I am also grateful for the media. It’s bringing much needed attention to Liberia and other countries that need help with ending this epidemic. Without press coverage, this situation would be far much worse.

Ebola is a global issue, not just Africa’s problem. Soon the public will stigmatize the two nurses stricken with Ebola. We pray for their full recovery and we hope that they and their families will not be socially ostracized and treated as Liberians are being treated. Stigmatization is really happening because of the lack of information. Most people I have talked to about Ebola think it’s an airborne virus and if someone sneezes, they could infect their entire community. This is far from true. If we spread the word about how people actually contract the virus, people might react differently. The likelihood of most Americans getting the virus is very slim. A system of containment exists here, which does not exist in some other developing countries. Yes, you might see more cases here, but I don’t believe it will get out of control.

#IamaLiberianNotaVirus has since generated a positive response, with supporters from all over the world joining in on the hashtag and spreading the word.