BET Network Will Bring HIV/AIDS Forum to Town

Black Entertainment Television will bring its award-winning “Rap-It-Up Teen Forum” on HIV/AIDS and STDs to Syracuse’s Southwest Community Center on April 26 from 4 to 6 p.m.

For 10 years, BET has worked with the Kaiser Health Foundation to present the forums in cities across the United States. They feature health-related talks by experts and celebrities, as well as a mini-concert by a well-known performer.

Vikki Johnson, BET’s senior manager of corporate social responsibility, said the performer for Syracuse has not been confirmed; the event’s moderator will be Joe Clair, a comic who has appeared on BET and HBO.

In bringing the forum to Syracuse, BET is partnering with SCC’s FACES [Fighting AIDS/HIV through Case Management, Education, and Support] program. H. Bernard Alex, FACES’ director of health services, said he and Dr. Cynthia Morrow, Onondaga county’s health commissioner, will take part in a panel discussion at the event.

Alex said a new venue may be selected if attendance is expected to surpass the center’s 500-person capacity.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!