Last Friday night was an evening filled with music and entertainment as The Diva Foundation and MAAC brought Divas Simply Singing to Lee Hall auditorium.
Hosted by founder and entrepreneur, Sheryl Lee Ralph, The Diva Foundation is a national not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to advancing, rewarding, and celebrating achievements that improve the health and well being of women.
Ralph paired with the Tallahassee based organization, the Minority Alliance for Advocating Community Awareness and Action, Inc. (MAAC), an organization providing HIV/AIDS prevention services to the Tallahassee area.
The Diva Foundation united Tallahassee’s local music talents and entertainers for a benefit concert for National Black HIV Awareness Day.
The showcase featured artists; Ledisi, Lisa McClendon, Soccorro, Nuance, Monique Wilkes, and a host of others.
After losing a majority of her friends to the infection many years prior, Ralph shared her motivation and dedication to an event that provided awareness about HIV/AIDS.
” I don’t want HIV/AIDS to become the inheritance of our children”, said Ralph. “I care simply because I am a human being.”
She encouraged those in the audience to “do better” and then blessed the crowd with her rendition of God Bless the Child.
Jasmine Newbill, 20, a second year biology student from Miami said, “I think Sheryl did a really good job putting together a show that benefits not only young women but also men.”
Newbill said that she was definitely inspired to go out and spread awareness about this epidemic that is sweeping the black community.
FAMU alumna Sunni Patterson captivated the room with an emotional spoken word poem about a young woman who would search for love in all the wrong places and contracted HIV.
The evening featured similar performances but each had its own unique touch that inspired people in the room.
Sheryl Lee Ralph encouraged everyone to visit testtogether.org to find a local testing center, to know your own status.