Jamie Fox and Ludacris team up to fight against HIV
Staff Writer
2010-03-09
.bugnews.bloggieblog.com .
Award-winning actors and recording artists Jamie Foxx and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges are joining other celebrities and African-American leaders to promote "i know," a social media effort launched today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The "i know" effort will provide new channels for African-American young adults to talk openly and often about HIV, both online and off.
As a new element of CDC's Act Against AIDS campaign, "i know" will get the facts about HIV/AIDS out far and wide to this hard-hit population through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, a new Web site, and text messages aimed at sparking conversation. Celebrities including Foxx and Ludacris, along with participating African-American organizations, will also use their own Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to increase participation and expand the conversation's reach.
"The 'i know' effort is part of CDC's commitment to addressing the silence around HIV and inviting African-American young adults to take charge of the conversation," said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. "At CDC, we have the science, but it is their voices that will make the difference. By supporting frank conversations through social media, 'i know' creates an opportunity for young people to talk directly with each other about the issues that fuel this still-deadly disease. Their ideas and involvement will be a critical part of the solution."
Foxx will also lend his star power to a series of radio and online video public service announcements. For example, in one of the "i know" PSAs, Foxx highlights the importance of talking about HIV: "We need to do something – all of us – and especially young people. We can start by talking about HIV with our partners, our family, our friends."