 Smollett-Bell has been active in HIV/AIDS causes since she was 11.Her first encounter with the disease came at age seven when a crew member of "On Our Own" died of AIDS.. She was inspired by the HIV/AIDS survivor Hydeia Broadbent, with whom she eventually worked for HIV/AIDS awareness, including for the Black AIDS Institute and Red Cross.She spoke at the Ryan White Youth Conference, and is on the Board of Directors of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS in Africa.