Star Jones to give heart health lecture on campus

Star Jones, a former co-host of The View, will visit The University of Memphis on Sunday to speak on heart disease awareness.

Jones, a survivor of heart disease, is also one of 16 contestants in the fourth installment of The Celebrity Apprentice. She was a NBC News Legal Correspondent, who reported on issues such as the O.J. Simpson case.

Jazmine Phillips, the president of the Epsilon Epsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., said AKA members wore red clothing Feb. 3 as a "conversation starter" to spread awareness about the No. 1 killer of women.

"We do have the power to tell people on a daily basis," Phillips said.

Phillips, also a heart disease survivor, said she never imagined having heart problems. She had surgery in summer 2010.

"When you have a celebrity come in, it brings attention to it a little more," she said.

Alexia Young, a senior education major and member of the chapter, said Jones is the best candidate for the event.

It is beneficial because the American Heart Association doesn't get as much publicity as other organizations such as the Breast Cancer Association, she said.

"She has a big impact on the world. We see her on The View. We saw her in the O.J. Simpson case. We see her on TV," Young said.

Whitley Miller, member of the AKA and chair of the event, said a lot of people are uninformed of the risks of heart disease.

"What better person to bring than our own sorority sister and someone who knows what heart disease is really about," she said.

A question and answer session will follow Jones' talk. After Jones, a representative of the American Heart Association will speak.

The red dress, the official symbol for heart disease, is the preferred attire at the free, public event. Attendees are also encouraged to bring canned food for the fundraising food drive.