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TUCSON - Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation and National Community Health Partners are partnering up to bring public awareness in Tucson for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD).

This year's theme is "Our ancestors fought that we might be free - EVEN FROM HIV!" The NBHAAD event will be held on February 7 at the Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center located at 2160 N. 6th Avenue from 5pm - 8pm.

The movie Ending silence, shame & stigma: hiv/aids in the African American family will be featured followed by a panel discussion. Free and confidential HIV and Hep C testing will be offered.

This event will be catered by the local eatery Eegees and is free and open to the public.

About half of the total AIDS cases reported and almost half of the persons living with HIV in the U.S. are Black, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This is the second year Matthew Kearney, SAAF, has organized events to bring HIV/AIDS awareness to the African American community in Tucson.

"Ignorance is more contagious than the disease" said Kearney. "My primary goal is to educate the entire Tucson community about HIV prevention and care."

To learn more about this event, please visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/462289803819681/ or contact Matthew B. Kearney, Health Education Specialist, at (520)628-7223