For Immediate Release
July 28, 2015
Contact Information

AHF
Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications
+1-323-308-1833 work
+1-323-791-5526 mobile
gedk@aidshealth.org

Christopher Johnson, Associate Director of Communications
+1-323-960-4846 work
+1-310-880-9913 mobile
christopher.johnson@aidshealth.org

(BPRW) AHF: Patti LaBelle, Common, Rev. Al Sharpton Headline Atlanta Show Marking 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act

"Vote 2 End HIV: #BlackVotesMatter" free concert and voter registration rally will commemorate 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act of 1965; promote action to address HIV/AIDS, health disparities in black and Latino communities

(Black PR Wire) -- LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest AIDS organization, and the AHF Black AIDS Crisis Taskforce (ABACT) will host a free concert and voter registration rally on August 6th at 7 PM at the historic FOX Theatre in Atlanta, GA to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and draw attention to health disparities that continue to affect communities of color. Featuring live music performances by Grammy- and Oscar-winning rapper/actor Common, legendary singer/actress Patti LaBelle, a keynote address by National Action Network Founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton and appearances by other special guests including the Prancing Elites of Oxygen Media’s The Prancing Elites Project, “Vote 2 End HIV: #BlackVotesMatter!” will issue a grassroots call-to-action for black voters to play an active role in the 2016 elections and call for increased governmental resources directed towards the prevention, care and treatment for HIV/AIDS in black and Latino communities—the ethnic groups statistics show are the most affected by HIV.

WHAT: “Vote 2 End HIV: #BlackVotesMatter!”

Free concert and voter registration rally to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and draw attention to the impact of HIV/AIDS on black and Latino communities. On-site voter registration will be available before and after the concert.

WHEN: Thursday, August 6th 2015
7 PM
VENUE DOORS OPEN: 6:45PM

**RED CARPET & ARRIVAL INTERVIEWS: 7 – 8:30 PM

APPROVED MEDIA ONLY, RSVP REQUIRED to christopher.johnson@aidshealth.org


WHERE: FOX Theatre
660 Peachtree St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30308

WHO: Common, Oscar-, Golden Globe- and Grammy-winning rapper/actor
Patti LaBelle, Grammy-winning singer/actress
Rev. Al Sharpton, keynote speaker
Prancing Elites, dance group and stars of Oxygen Media’s The Prancing Elites Project
Thomas Buttenschøn, musical composer and artist
Gary with Da Tea (event co-host), radio personality, The Rickey Smiley Morning Show
Maria More (event co-host), radio personality, Hot 107.9 FM

Special invited guests, including elected officials and celebrities

“Fifty years ago, our nation stood at a critical crossroads in the fight for racial equality when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to underscore the constitutional right of every American to take part in our country’s electoral process,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “We are gathering in Atlanta—the home of the civil rights movement—fifty years to the day of this momentous event to focus attention on the most urgent public health crisis of our time that so disproportionately affects African Americans. With the states of the old Confederacy being the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America, we’re honored to have Patti LaBelle, Common, Rev. Al Sharpton join us in Atlanta to call for public mobilization and action to stop this epidemic.”

Sponsored by AHF, Reed for Hope Foundation / LoveHealthy.org and AID Atlanta, the “Vote 2 End HIV: #BlackVotesMatter!” concert and rally builds upon the successful “AIDS Is A Civil Rights Issue” national public awareness campaign created by AHF in 2014 in partnership with Rev. Al Sharpton, the National Action Network, local churches, and community groups to honor the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, foster dialogue on ending HIV and sexual stigma within black families, and encourage community-wide testing and treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), black Americans account for 44% of all people with HIV/AIDS in the United States, yet only account for 12% of the population. Latinos account for 21% of all new HIV infections nationwide, yet only represent 16% of the U.S. population. Locally, Atlanta currently ranks #3 in the nation for cities with the highest rates of new syphilis and HIV infections and the state of Georgia ranks #5 in the United States for new HIV infections.

MEDIA CREDENTIALS:
PLEASE RSVP to Christopher Johnson at
Christopher.Johnson@aidshealth.org or (323) 960-4846
by Tuesday, August 4th

ABOUT AHF:
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is a global organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 438,000 patients in 36 worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. AHF is the largest provider of FREE HIV/testing and treatment for African-Americans in the United States.

AHF currently provides HIV patient care in the Atlanta area through its healthcare center located at 5700 Hillandale Dr., Suite 100 in Lithonia. In June 2015, AHF announced its affiliation with AID Atlanta, a legacy AIDS service organization that has been serving people impacted by HIV in the metropolitan Atlanta area since 1981.

For more information please visit www.aidshealth.org

ABOUT ABACT (AHF Black AIDS Crisis Taskforce):

The AHF Black AIDS Crisis Taskforce is a collective of AHF employees of Black/African-American Descent, external community leaders, strategic partners, Black Greek Fraternities, Sororities, HBCUs, and popular social/entertainment influencers from a variety of genres and mediums who have joined together to revolutionize the way and approaches being used to educate and reach the African-American community regarding HIV/AIDS.

It is the objective of ABACT to build upon the foundation that the warriors in the fight against this disease began 30 years ago that must be continued as the African-American community currently represents the highest risk demographic for new HIV cases and AIDS related deaths.

ABOUT AID ATLANTA:

AID Atlanta, the largest non-profit HIV healthcare organization in the Southeast transforms lives with a continuum of care that provides access, linkage, and retention to HIV care. The Agency serves over 5,000 patients yearly. AID Atlanta’s major fundraiser – AIDS Walk Atlanta 5K & Run – now in its 25th year draws nearly 10 thousand and raises about $1 million annually With an annual budget of $7.6 million and two locations in Midtown Atlanta and Newnan, GA, AID Atlanta provides services to over 50,000 individuals per year. For more information, visit www.aidatlanta.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/AID-Atlanta-The-Official-Page

ABOUT REED FOR HOPE FOUNDATION (RFHF) / LOVEHEALTHY.ORG:
RFHF’s mission is to improve the vitality of the global village by changing specific cultural attitudes about wellness, disease prevention and health disparities through the strategic implementation of messages that impact pop culture. We aim to inspire our friends, our partners and our communities to join us in raising our voices on targeted health issues while bringing focus, action and HOPE to causes that enhance the quality of living for all.