Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - October 26, 2004
The forum will take place on Saturday, November 6 from 10:00 a.m. - Noon inside Room B566, Medical Science Building located on 185 South Orange Avenue at the University of Medicine/Dentistry of New Jersey. BET's Tiffany, host of the network's music show, THE STUDENT CENTER will moderate the forum and engage the young audience in the discussion. Forum attendees can look forward to a dramatic presentation performed by UMDNJ's P.O.W.E.R. peer education group, and a celebrity panel discussion, which includes panelists WNBA Connecticut Sun's player Nkesha Sales, Power 105.1 FM radio personality Steph Lova and Dr. Robert Johnson, Chairman of Pediatrics at the University of Medicine/Dentistry of New Jersey.
"BET's Rap-It-Up initiative is committed to educating urban communities about HIV/AIDS and the impact the disease has had on minorities and young adults," said Vikki Johnson, BET's Manager of Public Affairs. "Through our community outreach and HIV-related on-air programming, BET hopes to continue to provide the vital information and resources necessary to promote AIDS awareness, HIV testing and prevention."
Minorities have been disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic and account for the majority of newly-reported AIDS cases and deaths among persons living with the disease. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, African- American women make up 64% of estimated new HIV +infections among women and young African Americans between the ages of 13-19 represent 61% of new AIDS cases. In 2001, New Jersey ranked fifth among states with the most African Americans estimated to be living with the disease.
Since its launch in 2000, BET's Rap-It-Up Campaign has tested over 5,300 people nationwide for HIV infection; received over 900,000 calls to its toll- free hotline; distributed over 230,000 sexual health brochures, hosted community teen forums in over 27 cities for over 5,000 young adults; and reached millions of viewers via HIV-related programming on the BET Network, including award-winning news specials, documentaries and public service announcements.
ABOUT RAP-IT-UP
Since 1997, the Kaiser Family Foundation and BET: Black Entertainment Television have partnered on an extensive public education campaign to inform young people about sexual health issues, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs). The partnership includes special programming, public service advertisements (PSAs), online content on bet.com, and a free resource and referral service. In 2000, the campaign launched a grassroots initiative to complement the on-air and online components of Rap- It-Up. Program elements include teen forums, mobile HIV testing events, and a middle and high school curriculum on HIV/AIDS. The campaign was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best National Public Service Announcement in 2004 and 2003, and has received numerous other awards, including 5 Cable Positive POP Awards, 2 NAMIC Excellence Awards, CTPAA Joel Berger Award, NAACP Image Award, Academy of Television Arts & Science TV Cares "Ribbon of Hope" Award, and the NBACA Community Service Award.
ABOUT BET
BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 79 million households according to Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading publisher of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque Books label, and publisher of new imprints Sepia and New Spirit.
SOURCE BET (Black Entertainment Television)
Web Site: http://www.bet.com
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