The Roots, Jussie Smollett & More Set for 'Keep the Promise' Free Concert In Cleveland
By: Caryn Robbins Jul. 15, 2016
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world's largest HIV/AIDS organization serving over 660,000 patients in 36 countries around the world, will host its "Keep The Promise" free concert on Sunday, July 17th at 4:00 PM at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University, located at 2000 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115. Keep The Promise is an advocacy campaign created by AHF to bring together local and national advocates along with spiritual and political leaders to remind elected officials that the fight against HIV/AIDS and for other social justice issues is not yet won. At the July 17th concert event in Cleveland, advocates will publicly call on presidential candidates and elected officials-including Republican officials and other key party members gathering at the RNC-to articulate clear domestic and global policies on HIV/AIDS, income inequality and other pressing social justice issues.
The free concert will be hosted by Soledad O'Brien, chief executive of the Starfish Media Group and award-winning former CNN anchor, and feature live musical performances by:
- The Roots, Grammy Award-winning band
- Jussie Smollett (FOX's Empire television series)
- Mary Mary, Grammy Award-winning contemporary gospel duo
- Raheem DeVaughn, singer/songwriter
- B.O.B., singer/producer
- Teyana Taylor, singer/actress
Activist, renowned author and Princeton University Professor Emeritus Dr. Cornel West and actress / White House Ambassador for Citizenship and Naturalization Diane Guerrero will give keynote remarks during the concert. Former Cleveland Browns fullback and activist Jim Brown will also receive an award to honor his community involvement.
"We applaud this diverse group of social influencers, acclaimed artists, and community leaders who have made the choice to use their platforms to magnify our Foundation's non-partisan cause and call to action," said Samantha Granberry, Senior Director of Marketing, Sales, Media and Special Projects for AHF. "We ask concerned citizens to join us as we rally to ensure elected officials 'Keep The Promise' around healthcare rights, civil rights, and human rights for us all."
MEDIA CREDENTIALS ARE REQUIRED for Wolstein Center concert coverage. To request credentials, please contact:
Rebecca Strong, AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland
Phone: (216) 621-0766 x.2915, Mobile (216) 235-3417 rstrong@clevelandtaskforce.org
Imara Canady, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Phone: (954) 952-0258 imara.canady@aidshealth.org
Advocates from cities throughout Ohio-including Dayton, Toledo, Cincinnati, and Columbus-will travel by bus to Cleveland to support the "Keep the Promise" goals:
- Access to healthcare needs improving;
- Measures must be put in place to control runaway drug pricing by pharmaceutical companies that values profits over people;
- The U.S. government must Keep The Promise on pressing social issues of our day, including increasing funding for global efforts to prevent, test and treat HIV/AIDS; fairness in policing and treatment by the criminal justice system; environmental protections; growing the economy while addressing corporate greed and wealth inequality; immigration fairness, racial justice and LGBT equality; and women's rights.
Partners for Keep the Promise 2016 in Cleveland include:
The Cleveland 'Keep the Promise' is the fifth in a series of similar KTP events spearheaded by AHF since 2012, with the inaugural event in Washington, DC held in July 2012, followed by KTP events in Atlanta (Nov. 2012); Brooklyn, NY (Apr. 2013) and a prior 'Keep the Promise' held in Cleveland in May 2013.
The Keep the Promise concert in Cleveland will complement a parallel 'Keep the Promise 2016' concert and march taking place 8,600 miles away in Durban, South Africa on July 16th calling for similar awareness and action on the fight to end global AIDS. That Keep the Promise event takes place before the opening of 'AIDS2016,' the 21st International AIDS Conference and will feature performances by Queen Latifah and Common.
More information about the "Keep the Promise" effort can be found at http://usakeepthepromise.org.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 660,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.
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