BET Network Will Bring HIV/AIDS Forum to Syracuse, N.Y.

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. For information on FACES, visit www.smnfswcc.org/faces.html.

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