NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making A Difference”: Alicia Keys (video and commentary)

(Tuesday, November 10, 2009) NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making a Difference” special week long series. Alicia Keys provides “a voice for the voiceless” to HIV/AIDS patients in Africa and India and shares her story with NBC’s Lester Holt.

In her interview with Lester Holt, R&B singer Alicia Keys visits Agape Orphanage in Durban, South Africa and a health clinic that the organization Keep A Child Alive sponsors.  It was after witnessing the impact of HIV and AIDS, firsthand, during a trip to Africa in 2003 that motivated Alicia Keys to action. Together, Leigh Blake and Alicia Keys founded Keep A Child Alive providing free lifesaving medical assistance, resources, and support to families all over Africa and India that cannot afford anti-retroviral medication and related care.

The embed code provided on msnbc.com does not work with my WordPress page so I’m placing the link to the interview for you to watch below.  Continue to read my reaction, and I encourage you to comment with yours.

NOTE:  If the links do not work, go to the Making a Difference website and you’ll find links to each celebrity about 2/3 down the page under a heading “Celebrities Making A Difference.”

(VIDEO LINK) Celebrities Making A Difference: Alicia Keys uses voice for the voiceless

(VIDEO LINK) Celebrities Making A Difference: Alicia Keys I had to help, and I did

My reaction…

We know the statistics of HIV and AIDS are startling in Africa, but to hear, for example as stated in the video interview, that over 10% of the population has AIDS in South Africa.  Further, over half of those suffering from HIV/AIDS do not have the means to obtain life sustaining medication just brings the point home all over again.  In the US, while HIV/AIDS is still a crisis and at epidemic levels in different parts of the country, we are largely fortunate to have medication widely available so that people can actually live full lives with HIV now.  When you step outside of the Western world, that is not always the case.  My heart bled for the orphans in Durban who looked up to Alicia Keys as their own sister with sincere heartfelt gratitude for the contributions from Keep A Child Alive.  If you look at the Keep A Child Alive website, you’ll read that it just takes a US dollar a day to make an impact.  Think about that as we enter the holiday season.  Sometimes, I’ve made charitable contributions in lieu of gifts.  I’m definitely adding Keep A Child Alive to my list.

p.s. Didn’t Alicia just sing to our souls at the end with her a capella rendition of “Prelude to a Kiss?” What a beautiful song!

Related Links

affrodite.net– Celebrities Making A Difference (blog posts on entire series)

affrodite.net– How CDC Underdevelops HIV Prevention in Black America

affrodite.net– JENESIS Magazine, July 2009 “Exceeding an epidemic” about AIDS epidemic in DC and effect in black community

affrodite.net– Black AIDS Project Africa. Healthy Black Communities (HBC) expands its reach to 5 countries.

affrodite.net– June 27, 2009 Kicks Off Black AIDS Institute’s Test 1 Million Campaign

affrodite.net– In memoriam: World AIDS Day 2008

NBC Nightly News website– Making a Difference

Keep a Child Alive website– keepachildalive.org

Twitter– keepachildalive

Facebook– Keep A Child Alive fan page

Myspace– www.myspace.com/keepachildalive

Alicia Keys in Africa

Alicia | MySpace Video