For the second year, Wayne State University has agreed to serve as a key sponsor of the annual African World Festival, which will celebrate its 38th year as a Detroit cultural mainstay Aug. 20 through 22 on the grounds of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
Wayne State will provide an array of cultural offerings, including African dancers, musical performances and a spoken-word poetry presentation. The university will again offer free health services, including COVID-19 testing at Wayne Health’s mobile testing units and blood pressure screenings at WSU’s “Health Is Wealth” area.
The health services will be sponsored by Health Affairs at Wayne State, along with the School of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne Health, Wayne Pediatrics, and the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center at the WSU School of Medicine.
Faculty and staff from the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will lend their talents to the artistic presentations.
“We are delighted to play our part in the success of the 38th annual African World Festival,” said Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson. “The festival is one of the premier cultural events in Detroit, and we are happy to see its triumphant return. I encourage all metro Detroiters, and especially those in the Wayne State community, to join us for this wonderful presentation of African art, culture and history.”
Festival hours are from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Dubbed a “Return to the Wright,” the festival, which is the largest in the city, resumes after being cancelled last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s event is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors during its three days and will showcase more than 150 vendors of African-centered souvenirs, visual arts, hand crafts, apparel and food.
Headlining musical acts include R&B singer Sunshine Anderson, Grammy-winning vocalist Angelique Kidjo and gospel musician Tim Bowman Jr.
The festival also will feature a Rock the Runway fashion show and a youth/family area known as Watoto Village. Though most of the festival will be held outside, portions of the museum’s interior spaces will be housed on the festival stages and in activity areas.
For more information, visit thewright.org.