Black Expo Offers Health, Entertainment and Shopping
| UAMS provided health screenings along with health education at the 15th Annual Midsouth Summit Black Expo held Feb. 23 at the Little Rock Metroplex.
The expo, presented by UAMS, brought together a community of entertainers, health institutions, businesses and other organizations to celebrate Black History Month.
The UAMS MammoVan mobile mammography unit provided mammograms to those who qualified for services.
“Part of the battle against cancer is educating people about the need for preventive care, letting them know that screening saves lives,” said Michael Preston, Ph.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor in the College of Medicine and co-director of the Health Initiatives and Disparities Research at UAMS. “We were able to perform breast cancer screenings at the expo.”
UAMS volunteers also distributed colorectal cancer screening kits for attendees to use in the privacy of their own homes, part of a national initiative called “80% in Every Community.” The effort is a push by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable to reach 80 percent screening rates nationally, particularly in underserved communities, including among certain minorities and in rural and low-income areas.
Karen Crowell, M.D., a physician educator for health initiatives and disparities, awaits visitors to the UAMS booth during the early hours of the Midsouth Black Expo.
Preston said that in addition to providing screenings for breast cancer and colorectal cancer, as well as education about HPV and its links to cervical cancer, this year for the first time expo outreach efforts included education specifically devoted to the early detection of prostate cancer.
“Hopefully our efforts will encourage people to be proactive in maintaining their health. That means having an open dialogue with their doctor and making sure they are screened for diseases like cancer.”
Other activities at the expo included offering high school students the opportunity to participate in a free ACT Introductory prep course. Students also performed as part of a Battle of the Bands, which included marching band performances by Hall High School, Parkview High School, Pine Bluff High School, Craigmont High School, Fairly High School and Whitehaven High School. Actor Carl Payne, known for his TV roles on Martin and the Cosby Show, kicked off the entertainment.
The event included a live comedy stage play and TV drama pilot hosted by Group 501, a collaboration of five local film companies. Included was a workshop for vocal music performance by Grammy-nominated artist Al Bell.
In addition, the expo featured a gathering of vendors selling jewelry, fragrances, clothing and many other artisanal creations. The event featured workshops meant to empower local businesses with seminars on networking and community leadership.
“The rain slowed people down initially, but it eventually picked up,” said Theresa Timmons, one of the leading organizers, who estimated attendance at around 1,500. “The vendors were pleased. And our health vendors in particular did really well. And that’s our main thing. Sometimes we, as a culture, tend to not make our health a priority. Some are too busy, others are afraid to know. But it was good to see people take advantage of the free health services offered by UAMS and others.