We are dedicated to our mission.

Creating a vibrant and inclusive community where everyone thrives and embracing the rich cultural heritage of Africa through our work.

Get involved

Free Community Health Fairs

Community Health Fairs form part of the African Center’s commitment to promoting the health and wellbeing of immigrant/refugee, Black and other minority communities. These events underpin our vision of fostering a healthier community by engaging members in meaningful ways and providing trusted information and resources. We work with community partners dedicated to improving the well-being and quality of life of immigrant, refugee, Black and minority communities in Dane County. Families and Communities are empowered to take charge of their health through education, engagement, and access to essential services and resources.

We look forward to hearing from you. Contact us.

Call at (608) 294-0066

Email: info@africancentermadison.org

Upcoming: Sun Prairie Community Health Fair, April 26, 2025

We are organizing our 3rd free community health fair in Sun Prairie. We invite all community members to join us for the education, resource and fun activities that will enhance our mind and body health.

What to expect:

  • Expert-led health talks
  • Free health screenings
  • Fun activities for kids
  • Free healthy lunch

How to participate:

  • Date: April 26th, 2025
  • Time: 12pm - 4pm
  • Location: Central Heights Middle School, 220 Kroncke Dr, Ste 1, Sun Prairie, WI 53590

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Help us make this event a success. Please sign up to volunteer. 

Do you want to participate as your organization? Partner with us by hosting a resource table or engaging participants through hands-on activities. Please complete the organization registration form.

SponsorS & Partners

SSBL
Sun Prairie Community Schools Logo
Jamarek logo
Xelxeeli Academy logo

Past Events

2024 - Health Fair in Sun Prairie

2nd Free Community Health Fair

We were able to bring the Free Community Health Fair to Sun Prairie, thanks to the commitment of our sponsors and partners. Community members who participated connected them with local vital resources. We are grateful for the attendance and support of Mayor Paul Esser. Kudos to the BSU students who volunteered to contribute to the success of the event.

Thank you to Keur Fatou Catering for providing the healthy hot lunch for participants.

  • Date: November 2nd, 2024
  • Location: Central Heights Middle School, Sun Prairie

Sponsors & Partners

  • UW Swallowing and Salivary Bioscience Lab
  • Jamarek & Xel Xeeli Academy
  • Sun Prairie Community Schools
  • Sun Prairie Neighborhood Navigators

Free health screenings by:

Speakers

Talk title: Talk about body stress and illness

Bio: Prof. Linda Oakley is a UW-Madison Professor and the inaugural Louis J. and Phyllis Clark Jacobs Professor in Mental Health, Board Certified as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in mental health. Prof. Oakley is the lead researcher for the “Nurses 4 Black Wellbeing”; project, a health equity study of heart health in Black communities. Her work can best be described as a “Partnership of Nurses and the Community Working Together for Health Equity and Generational Heart Health”.

Talk title: Swallowing and Your Health: What happens when swallowing goes wrong?

Bio: Dr. Nicole Rogus-Pulia is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Surgery, and Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Additionally, she is the Director of the Swallowing and Salivary Bioscience Laboratory in the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital.

Talk title: Urinary Incontinence: When laughing is no longer funny

Bio: Dr. Margaret Wilkes, MD is an Assistance Professor in Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery at the University of Wisconsin. She attended medical school at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed an Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. Following residency, she completed a fellowship in Urogynecology at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY.

Talk title: Save the Drugs, Beat the Bugs: Antibiotic Stewardship 101

Bio: Michael Pulia, MD, Ph.D, FACEP, FIDSA is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency at the University of Wisconsin (UW) Madison School of Medicine & Public Health with over 15 years of clinical experience in both academic and community emergency departments. He leads the Emergency Care for Infectious Diseases (EC-ID) health services research program which focuses on improving the diagnosis, management, and prevention of infectious diseases in the emergency department and downstream care settings, with an emphasis on systems engineering guided interventions and learning health systems. His research has been supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, CDC, and the Wisconsin Partnership Program. Dr. Pulia has over 80 publications and is a regularly invited speaker at national and international conferences, including the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, ID-Week, and the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine.

Participating Organizations

  • Anesis Center for Marriage & Family Therapy
  • First Care Clinic
  • Full Spectrum Health Services
  • JustDane
  • Public Health Madison and Dane County
  • RSVP of Dane County, Inc
  • Sun Prairie Wellness Coalition
  • UW Carbone Cancer Center
  • UW Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
  • UW HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD)
  • UW Health ConnectRx Wisconsin

2024 - Health Fair in Madison

1st Free Community Health Fair

We had the pleasure of hosting our first Free Community Health Fair to empower community members to take charge of their health and connect them with local health resources in the Madison area. We are incredibly grateful for the strength, commitment and collaboration of local organizations who were present. 

Thank you to Holisac’s Taste of Africa for the jollof rice and veggie spring rolls, Smiling Coast Cuisine for the hibiscus juice (Wonjo), and Coffee4All for the samosas. All of the lovely refreshments at the fair fueled our minds and bodies all day long. Thank you to Forage Kitchen for providing gift cards for our participants—a little luxury for our deserving community members.

  • Date: June 22nd, 2024
  • Location: UW South Madison Partnership

Sponsors & Partners

  • UW Swallowing and Salivary Bioscience Lab
  • Public Health Madison and Dane County
  • UW School of Nursing
  • UW South Madison Partnership

Free health screenings by:

Speakers

Talk title: Mind & Body Health – How you can use mind-body awareness to protect your health and wellness.

Bio: Dr. Linda Denise Oakley is a UW-Madison Professor and the inaugural Louis J. and Phyllis Clark Jacobs Professor in Mental Health, Board Certified as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in mental health. Dr. Oakley is the principal investigator of the “Nurses 4 Black Wellbeing”; project, a health equity study of heart health in Black communities.

Talk title: Swallowing and Your Health: What happens when swallowing goes wrong?

Bio: Dr. Nicole Rogus-Pulia is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Surgery, and Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Additionally, she is the Director of the Swallowing and Salivary Bioscience Laboratory in the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital.

Talk title: Eating healthy on a budget: How is it possible?

Bio: Keena Atkinson, the visionary founder, and CEO of R’oujie Wellness, is a versatile wellness professional specializing as a nutritionist, wellness coach, dance fitness instructor, and a 500hr trauma Informed social justice yoga instructor with an Ayurveda perspective. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from UW Madison, Keena has journeyed from homelessness to homeowner. She was a 15 year old teen mom, who gave birth while in the foster care system. As a domestic violence survivor
Keena raises her two sons intentionally. Keena is creator and host of the transformative 2023 R’oujie Wellness Retreat, she also hosts a free monthly book club and leads a powerful 12 week life transformation program for women who have experienced domestic violence. Keena partners with numerous organizations and businesses to bring lasting generational improvements to wellness and wellbeing of people in the
community.
A writer, speaker, and poet, Keena hosts podcasts including “R’oujie Ruminations and Revelations” and “Good Bad Breakthru,” found on all streaming platforms. Her YouTube channel @keenasfa offers over 80 on-demand yoga classes and more. Keena’s holistic approach emphasizes parenting, emotional well-being, personal development, and women’s hormonal health, reflecting her passions for positive psychology, social, emotional and brain health development, literacy and liberation from the inside, out. She hosts a free monthly book club and leads a powerful 12 week life transformation program for women who have experienced domestic violence. Please find her on all social media @keenasfa or on her website at https://www.roujiewellness.com

Participating Organizations

  • Agrace
  • Anesis Center for Marriage & Family Therapy
  • Centro Hispano
  • Covering Wisconsin
  • Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS)
  • Family Voices of Wisconsin
  • Felicia’s Donation Closet
  • First Care Clinic
  • Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness (FFBWW)
  • Full Spectrum Health Services
  • Kids Forward
  • Madison Public Library
  • NAMI Dane County
  • No Stomach for Cancer
  • Perry Family Free Clinic
  • RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center
  • South Madison Farmers’ Market
  • SuperAging Research Initiative of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
  • Urban Triage
Scroll to Top