ABC/Lou RoccoAlicia Keys and her Keep a Child Alive Foundation celebrated the 11th annual Black Ball benefit concert in New York City Thursday night. Before heading inside the Hammerstein Ballroom, Keys reflected on the journey her organization has made in its efforts to raises money for children and families in Africa and India affected by HIV.
“It’s true, it has been such a journey,” she revealed on the red carpet. “When I first went to Africa it just changed my life and really what changed it was because I saw people just like me — my brothers, my sisters, my cousins — and like anybody, we are all dealing with how to live in this world and I remember being really inspired by them. To know that they had to watch their parents pass away because they didn’t have access to the medicine that we do, it really just changed my perspective. I said, ‘If that was me, I’d hope that somebody would be there for me and talk for me and raise awareness for me.
Alicia continued, “So now, it’s really about the youth and how much we drive the forward motion of where this pandemic is going to go and how its going to end. So I’m really proud of that, I’m proud of them, I’m proud of the journey and we’re going to keep on keeping on.”
The star-studded event included performances from Keys and Nas, who showcased a rendition of “If I Ruled the World,” while Diddy left his co-hosting duties to give a rousing showcase alongside the Queensbridge rapper of their 1999 hit, “Hate Me Now.” Guests were also treated to performances from rap rookie Angel Haze and David Byrne, former frontman for New Wave rock band Talking Heads.
For more information on how to get involved, visit KeepAChildAlive.org.
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