Viacom & Kaiser's “KNOW HIV/AIDS” Initiative Supports 2005 Black August Hip Hop Concert As Tickets Go On Sale Today At Ticket Master
Viacom and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation’s KNOW HIV/AIDS INITIATIVE sponsors the major upcoming hip hop concert highlighting HIV/AIDS awareness to be headlined by artist Mos Def.
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 8, 2005 -- Known for its major youth targeted
HIV/AIDS media campaign using PSA’s featuring Grammy© award winning artist
Common, Viacom and the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation’s KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative has
signed on to support the 8th Annual Black August Hip Hop Benefit Concert as a
media sponsor. This year’s concert highlights HIV/AIDS prevention awareness as
its theme for its shows in NYC and Tanzania, East Africa. Avid Hip Hop fans and
Black August devotees can head to Ticket Master starting today to purchase
tickets to see headliner and Emmy© nominated actor/Hip Hop artist Mos Def along
with Smif N Wessun, Black Moon and a growing roster of major Hip Hop artists
take the stage as they help to further spread the message of HIV/AIDS prevention
to young adults of the Hip Hop community here and abroad.
Concert
attendees will receive effective HIV/AIDS resource materials as well as view the
KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative’s customized PSA’s throughout the show.
“With
the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the US recently hitting the one million mark for
the first time since the 1980’s and the overwhelmingly rapid spread of HIV/AIDS
related deaths among youth in Africa, it’s imperative that we assist in reaching
out to as many young people as possible, especially in the Hip Hop community to
make them aware of HIV/AIDS and the necessity of prevention,” says Black August
concert co-coordinator Meron Wondwosen. “We are happy to have the KNOW HIV/AIDS
Initiative on board with our efforts this year.”
Black August, whose
annual Hip Hop benefit concerts highlight human and civil rights issues dear to
the Hip Hop Community such as political prisoners in the U.S., education reform,
the voting rights of parolees and police brutality is one of the largest annual
benefit concerts in Hip Hop where artists and personalities such as Fat Joe,
Talib Kweli, David Banner, Dave Chappelle, Grammy© award winning artists Erykah
Badu, The Roots and Common have taken the stage in recent years to move the
crowd nationally and internationally at no cost for a good cause. In addition to
its New York show this year to be held on Sunday, August 7, 2005 at B.B. King
Blues Club in Times Square, the show will also be held in Dar es Salaam and
Arusha, Tanzania in East Africa on August 18th and the 20th.
Tickets for
the August 7th show in NYC are on sale and may be purchased by going to www.ticketmaster.com.
For all press related inquiries and media interview requests regarding
the 8th Annual Black August Hip Hop Benefit Concert, please contact Jennifer
Williams or Loren Hearst of J Sharpe Agency Public Relations at
718.774.6264.
About Black August:
Black August, is an annual Hip
Hop benefit concert that utilizes Hip Hop to highlight human and civil rights
issues dear to the Hip Hop community such as education reform and political
prisoners in the U.S. as well as connecting members of this community throughout
the Diaspora.
About KNOW HIV/AIDS:
Viacom, one of the largest
media companies in the world, and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a
leader in health information and research, have created an unprecedented media
campaign to eradicate ignorance about HIV/AIDS. Launched on January 6, 2003, the
KNOW HIV/AIDS initiative runs public service messages across the full range of
Viacom's TV, radio, and outdoor properties. The initiative also encompasses
AIDS-related themes woven into Viacom-produced entertainment series, a free
educational guide and other resources. In the United States, the campaign is
aimed at the public-at-large as well as those groups that are most at-risk for
the disease, including youth, people of color, women, and men who have sex with
men.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb259306.htm