Editing B. B. King (section)

=== Philanthropy and notable campaigns ===
In September 1970, King recorded [[Live in Cook County Jail]] during a time in which issues of racism <ref name="Back" /> and class in the prison system were prominent in politics. King also co-founded the Foundation for the Advancement of Inmate Rehabilitation and Recreation tying in his support for prisoners and his interest in prison reform.<ref name="Back">Back, Les. 2015. "How Blue Can You Get? B.B. King, Planetary Humanism and the Blues Behind Bars." ''Theory, Culture & Society'' 32 (7): 274.</ref> In addition to prison reform, King also wanted to use prison performances as a way to preserve music and songs in a similar way that [[Alan Lomax]] did.<ref>{{Cite journal | last=Adelt| first=U.| title=Black, White, and Blue: Racial Politics in B.B. King's Music from the 1960s| journal=Journal of Popular Culture| volume=2}}</ref>

In 2002, he signed on as an official supporter of [[Little Kids Rock]], a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in underprivileged public schools throughout the United States. He sat on the organization's honorary board of directors.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.littlekidsrock.org/honorary-board-of-directors/| publisher=Little Kids Rock| title=Honorary Board of Directors| access-date=May 15, 2015| archive-date=May 3, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503070417/http://www.littlekidsrock.org/honorary-board-of-directors/| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Diagnosed with [[Type 2 diabetes|diabetes]] in 1990,<ref>{{Cite news | title=King of the Blues BB King has Now Been At the Top of the Blues Game for More than 50 years| last=Doughty| first=R.|year=2002| via=Diabetes Forecast}}</ref> King was a high-profile spokesman in the fight against the disease.<ref name="farewells"/><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.mjsbigblog.com/crystal-bowersox-and-bb-king-in-new-diabetes-commercial.htm| agency=MJSBIGBLOG| title=Crystal Bowersox and BB King In New Diabetes Campaign| first=MJ| last=Santilli| date=March 15, 2011| access-date=May 15, 2015}}</ref> He appeared in several television commercials for [[OneTouch Ultra]], a blood glucose monitoring device, beginning in the early 2000s. ''[[American Idol]]'' contestant [[Crystal Bowersox]], who was diagnosed with diabetes at age six, would co-star with King in later commercials.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.diabeteshealth.com/how-b-b-king-avoids-the-diabetes-blues/| title=How B.B. King Avoids the Diabetes Blues | date=November 1, 2005| newspaper=Diabetes Health| language=en-US| access-date=October 20, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809162402/https://www.diabeteshealth.com/how-b-b-king-avoids-the-diabetes-blues/| archive-date=August 9, 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.diabeteshealth.com/crystal-bowersox-striving-to-live-without-limitations/|title=Crystal Bowersox: Striving to Live Without Limitations | date=January 17, 2013| newspaper=Diabetes Health| language=en-US| access-date=October 20, 2016}}</ref>