Murder Mystery Film to Highlight HIV Among African Americans

On Feb. 22, actor-filmmaker Bill Duke will debut "Cover," a murder mystery that touches on the impact of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. The film stars include Louis Gossett Jr., Vivica A. Fox, Patti LaBelle, and Mya. Besides opening in 10 to 15 cities, "We're also using the Mel Gibson model, with premieres in major churches in this country," said Duke. "Many churches are getting on board, saying, 'We have to do something so people can understand the breadth of [HIV/AIDS].' People still think this is a white homosexual disease, and they're totally wrong," said Duke. The fact that more than half of all new HIV infections are occurring among blacks is "not really being discussed in the mainstream media," Duke said. "We need to start talking about this. It's a preventable disease."

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