Just Do It

Laughs For Life

by Deesha Dyer

Fri., Aug. 17, 8 p.m., $15-$25, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com

For the past 22 years, local organization BEBASHI (Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues) has addressed AIDS in the African-American community. With comedy showcase "Laughs For Life," they're hoping to uplift spirits, raise funds and promote awareness among African-Americans, who are leading the numbers of newly diagnosed HIV infections.

Hosted by Def Comedy Jam champion and Philly native TuRae (pictured), the laughfest will feature talents such as Tommie Turner and Urban Xpression co-host, Keith From Up Da Block. While AIDS is obviously no laughing matter, the comedians hope to discuss the issue from a different angle. "This event is an outreach effort on our part to offer people knowledge about HIV in a new way," says Lawanda Horton, director of development at BEBASHI. Besides basic education and testing outlets, BEBASHI offers housing counseling, post-prison planning and nutritional support to those living with HIV/AIDS. This isn't the first nontraditional approach BEBASHI has employed to fight AIDS. In 2003, they took over the Art Museum steps in a music and dance celebration that offered free, anonymous testing, and their T-shirts during the AIDS Walk read, "Trying to save your black ass from AIDS."

Between the giggles, be sure stop by the tables set up with information about AIDS and BEBASHI. "HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence. We help people live productive lives," says Horton. "Our clients are not dying of HIV, they are living with HIV."