WASHINGTON, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- BET Networks heads south with its
renowned national HIV/AIDS public awareness initiative, Rap-It-Up, to host
a celebrity health forum at famed Louisiana historically black college and
university (HBCU), Grambling State University on Tuesday, April 24.
Rap-It-Up will be hosting the event in partnership with the university and
local radio stations, 91.5 FM and 103.1 FM. The purpose of the event will
be to raise HIV/AIDS awareness, and also tackle the various social issues,
behaviors and attitudes impacting today's young adults.
    The Rap-It-Up celebrity health forum will take place on Tuesday, April
24 at 12:00 p.m. for all Grambling University students in the T.H. Harris
Auditorium located on the Grambling State University campus. Serving as
forum moderator will be comedian and former BET on-air personality Joe
Clair, who will be joined by forum panelists: R&B artist Sammie, AIDS
Advocate Denise Stokes, HIV/AIDS health educator Teresa Parker, and local
103.1 radio personality DJ Star. There will also be event giveaways and
health materials made available to event attendees following the event.
    Today's disturbing statistics have shown that African Americans account
for the most AIDS diagnoses, people estimated to be living with AIDS, and
HIV- related deaths than any other racial group within the United States.
Presently, African-American women account for 67 percent of new AIDS cases
among women, and 55 percent of newly reported AIDS cases among African
Americans have occurred in the South. Although African-American teens (ages
13 - 19) represent only 15 percent of U.S. teens, they accounted for 66
percent of newly-reported AIDS cases in 2003.
    To date, BET's Rap-It-Up Campaign has tested over 11,800 people
nationwide for HIV infection; managed over 1.1 million calls to the
Rap-It-Up toll-free hotline; hosted community teen forums for over 10,000
youth in over 33 U.S. cities; distributed over 400,000 sexual health
information guides; and reached millions of viewers via HIV-related
programming on the BET Network, including award-winning news specials,
documentaries and public service announcements.
    Here are more details about the BET Rap-It-Up celebrity health forum at
Grambling State University:
    DATE/TIME:            Tuesday, April 24 from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
                          T.H. Harris Auditorium, Grambling State University,
                          03 Main Street, Grambling, LA 71245

    AVAILABLE FOR
    MEDIA INTERVIEWS:     Forum moderator and panelists; BET Rap-It-Up staff;
                          and event sponsors - please call (202) 608-2745,
                          202/ 276-8830 or email Lyntina.Townsend@bet.net
                          to request access to cover BET's Rap-It-Up
                          celebrity health forum.

    MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:  Coverage of celebrity health forum and performances;
                          interview and photo opportunities with BET Rap-It-Up
                          Representatives; forum panelists and event sponsors.
    ABOUT RAP-IT-UP
    Since 1998, the Kaiser Family Foundation and BET: Black Entertainment
Television have partnered on a 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 middle and high school curricula about HIV/AIDS. The
campaign has received numerous awards, including 10 Cable Positive POP
Awards, a 2005 NAACP Image Award Nomination for "Walking on Sunshine", the
2002 CTPAA Joel Berger Award, and the 2002 Academy of Television Arts &
Science TV Cares "Ribbon of Hope" Award. Additionally, the campaign has
received 3 EMMY nominations for Best National Public Service Announcements
(2002/2003, 2003/2004, and 2004/2005).
    ABOUT BET NETWORKS
    BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA) and (NYSE:
VIA.B), is the leading provider of media and entertainment for African
Americans and consumers of Black culture on a global basis. The primary BET
cable network reaches more than 84 million households and can be seen in
the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET Digital Networks - BET J,
BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop - are brands that combine to serve a broader
and more diverse audience than the core network. BET.com is the number one
internet destination for the target audiences. BET Mobile delivers music,
gaming, and video content to the target audiences on wireless devices
across virtually all service providers. BET Event Productions is a
full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live
events spanning the globe. BET International delivers BET content to the
consumers of Black culture around the world. BET Networks inspires its
audiences to make a difference in their lives and communities with a series
of impactful pro-social initiatives under the Touch BET umbrella.
                            http://www.BET.com/PR