Midsouth Black Expo set for Feb. 25

LITTLE ROCK — The 19th annual Midsouth Black Expo, presented by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and its Office of Health Initiatives and Disparities Research, will celebrate Black History Month with a free event that offers health education and cancer screenings and promotes local Blackowned businesses.

The expo — themed “Our Health, Our Wealth, Our Culture” — will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 25 at The Venue at Westwind, 7318 Windsong Drive in North Little Rock.

The UAMS Mammovan, a mobile mammography unit, will be on-site to provide prescheduled mammograms. Anyone who wants to make an appointment or determine whether they qualify for services can call 800-259-8794.

In addition, the event will offer in-person and take-home screenings for breast and colorectal cancer as well as education on a variety of health conditions, including cancer, hypertension, stroke and heart disease. The expo will feature an “Ask the Doctor” segment, a showcase of minority-owned businesses, and Black cultural and historical education, a news release said.

“One of the goals of the expo is to engage the community by highlighting available resources in Arkansas as well as the work of UAMS’ Office of Health Initiatives and Disparities Research, which seeks to improve access to cancer screenings in underserved communities. The office’s mission includes a commitment to addressing cancer-related issues through education, training and research,” it said.

“UAMS has been one of the lead collaborative sponsors of this event since its inception, and it is always a great honor to serve the community,” Dr. Ronda Henry-tillman, division chief of breast surgical oncology at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, said in the release.

For more information about the event, visit http://www.midsouthblackexpo.com or call Bjorn “BK” Simmons at 501-475-5340 or email bjorn@thinksocialimpact.org.