City of Atlanta, Radio Stations Team Up to Fight AIDS in African-American Community

The city of Atlanta and Radio One Atlanta, a company that owns several Atlanta-area radio stations, announced Monday that they have teamed up to confront the "growing AIDS epidemic in the African-American community" with Operation WAVE (War Against the Virus is Escalating), the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The initiative, which is also sponsored by Fulton County, Cash America International, Priority Records and DuPont Pharmaceuticals, will "reach out" to young African Americans by providing information on HIV/AIDS prevention and testing. The outreach will include testing sites every first and third Tuesday of the month, as well as weekly public service announcements. Screening tests and HIV/AIDS information will be provided by the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness. "We are using the positive influence of our airwaves on a daily basis to talk about this epidemic," Wayne Brown, Radio One general manager, said. Mayor Bill Campbell added that the city is "delighted" with the partnership, which he said comes at a "critical time" for the African-American community. A similar initiative in Houston tested more people within its first 60 days than the city had tested in the previous year. The first screening test will be April 3, at the National AIDS Education and Services Center (Pean, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/29).