Wayne State University will be on hand for the 40th annual African World Festival this weekend at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, offering a host of volunteer health services as well as important information about admissions, financial aid, academic programming and community engagement.
As in previous years, the Wayne Health Mobile Unit will be on site to provide free health screenings, testing and vaccinations. Volunteers also will provide health and wellness information to attendees. And members of the Department of African American Studies and the Division of Government and Community Affairs will oversee an outreach tent where they will provide printed information and swag from an assortment of WSU units, including Admissions, the College of Education and Athletics, among others. The newly installed dean of the College of Education, Detroit native Denise Taliaferro Baszile, is scheduled be among those posted at the outreach tent.
“The African World Festival remains one of the premier cultural events in Detroit, and Wayne State is always proud to play a role in elevating the festival and promoting its significance to our area,” said President M. Roy Wilson. “The African World Festival is unlike any other in the city. We urge everyone in the metro area to come out and take part in this amazing celebration of African and African American culture.”
The three-day festival will feature an assortment of food and more than 125 vendors offering clothing, artwork, health products and more. The event also will boast a wide range of cultural performances on multiple stages. Iconic funk band Parliament-Funkadelic featuring George Clinton will kick off the entertainment Friday evening after the festival’s opening ceremonies. Other performers include renowned Detroit poet/musician Jessica Care Moore, the Detroit Youth Choir, Grammy-nominated vocalist Mumu Fresh, Detroit-reared singer Ré Lxuise, Cuban composer and jazz pianist Omar Sosa, and singer-songwriter Kizaba.
Single-day general admission tickets for the festival are $15 for those 13 and up and $10 for students and seniors. Children ages 12 and under will be allowed in free.
For more information about performances, ticket prices and more, please visit thewright.org/african-world-festival.