WSU Applebaum students share health info with Detroit community at African World Festival

On Aug. 20-22, Wayne State University served as a key sponsor of the 38th annual African World Festival on the grounds of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.African World Festival stage

University dancers, musicians and poets participated in the wide array of cultural offerings, while WSU Applebaum teamed up with the School of Medicine, the College of Nursing and others to provide free services in the Health Is Wealth area.

PharmD students Johnie Bailey and John Purdie represented SNPhA and FAWN by offering information on STI prevention and treatment from their booth as well as walking through the crowd to hand out bags. "Addressing at-risk populations about safe sex practices and vaccinations can be a difficult task," Bailey said. "As I have attended many pop-up vaccination clinics, I have discovered vaccine hesitation within the local community. I am currently working with other students brainstorming ideas to get members of the African American community who are not vaccinated incentives to do so."President Wilson walks through the African World Festival

Meanwhile, occupational therapy students Jennifer Gavia, Ala Sarsour, Hala Saif and Warda Saleh talked with attendees and handed out smiley face stress balls. "I went to talk to this person about the benefits of using one, especially since I saw she had a wrist brace, and she shared she is a WSU alum and was extremely pleased to find out we were occupational therapy students," Gavia said. "As it turned out, Cassandra Webb is actually an OT herself who works at the VA and wanted to take a picture with us and say hello to Dr. Head, as they previously worked together! She gave us some insight and words of advice from her experience in the OT field. It was a very cool moment!"

We are grateful to these students and everyone who worked to make the African World Festival a success. Here are a few photos from their experience — check out the WSU Flickr account for more images of President M. Roy Wilson's tour through the event (as shown above). 

WSU PharmD students at African World Festival OT students at African World Fest

 PharmD students John Purdie and Johnie Bailey.

Occupational therapy students Jennifer Gavia, Ala Sarsour, Hala Saif and Warda Saleh with OT alum Cassandra Webb.

PharmD students at African World Fest President Wilson checks out WSU's vaccination table at African World Fest

Johnie Bailey sets up his pharmacy info table with help from fellow Warriors.

President M. Roy Wilson checks in on Wayne State's free vaccination station.

WSU students at African World Fest President M. Roy Wilson and First Lady Jacqueline Wilson

 Second-year PharmD student John Purdie with a School of Medicine student.

President M. Roy Wilson and First Lady Jacqueline Wilson in front of the Charles McGee sculpture at The Wright.

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