Summit Agenda

The Summit aims to bring together community partners, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to advance patient-centered research that prioritizes the voices and traditions of African immigrants, ultimately enhancing their health and well-being. The goals are to:

  1. Highlight the importance of decolonized approaches, including cultural and linguistic appropriateness, in research methodologies engaging African immigrant communities.
  2. Explore patient-centered research that contributes to understanding the needs of African immigrants and improving the community’s health and well-being in the US.
  3. Facilitate community-academic networking opportunities to encourage collaborative research and interventions tailored to African immigrant health needs.

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Tuesday, July 30, 2024

7:30 AM

Registration and Breakfast

9:00 AM

Opening Remarks

  • Julius Kolawole, Executive Director, African Alliance of Rhode Island and Member of the African Immigrant Health Research Collaborative
  • Hafsatou Diop, MD, MPH, Assistant Commissioner for Health Equity, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Courtney Clyatt, Senior Program Officer, Patient-Centered Research Outcomes (PCORI)
9:30 AM

Opening Plenary Session

The opening plenary session will use the extensive work in HIV among African immigrants as a case study to highlight community-engaged research partnerships. Additionally, the discussion will incorporate a syndemic perspective with a focus on COVID-19. Panelists will share their experiences and insights on community engagement, including effective methods, challenges, and future needs in research ‘with and by’ African immigrant communities.

Brief on African Immigrant Health in the US

  • Chioma Nnaji, MPH, MEd, Senior Program Director, Multicultural AIDS Coalition and Member of the African Immigrant Health Research Collaborative

African Immigrant Communities Leading and Engaging in HIV & COVID-19 Research

  • Anisa Ali, Health and Repatriation Lead, Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services and Member of the African Immigrant Health Research Collaborative (moderator)
  • Eduardo E. Nettle, Deputy Director, MA DPH Office of Health Equity
  • Jean-Jacques Kayembe, Director, Congolese Health Board and Member of Harambee!
  • Leslie Koons, Health Researcher, Integrated Refugees and Immigrant Services and Member of the African Immigrant Health Research Collaborative
11:00 AM

SAWA Game

11:05 AM

Break

11:15 AM

Elder Oratory: Dr. Emeka Nwadiora in Conversation with Mrs. Portia Kamara

Decolonizing, Deconstructing, and Reconstructing: Implications for African Immigrant Health & Wellbeing in the U.S.

12:30 AM

Lunch

1:30 PM

Cultural Performance by UMeleni

2:00 PM

Palava Hut Conversation facilitated by Multicultural Community Family Services

MCFS adaptation of the Liberian/African “Palava Hut” is “Palava Hut Conversations” and presents it as an Afro-centric community engagement model that draws legitimacy from a host of cultural ways of learning, sharing and decision-making. Palava Hut Conversations employ cultural practices among racial and culturally ethnic peoples and groups into an integrative participatory process that amplifies the voices of people who are often not heard or considered as โ€˜hard to reachโ€™ communities.

During our session, we will reflect on the information shared and experiences present to explore the question: โ€œWhat Does it Mean to Africanize Research?โ€

3:50 PM

SAWA Game

4:00 PM

Adjourn

5:00 PM

African Village with Refreshments

Join us at the African Village to celebrate the vibrant diversity of Africa with music, art, and storytelling! Dance to the rhythms of MANDE, a live Boston-based band bringing you traditional melodies from Mali, Senegal, and Burkina Faso. Stroll through our bustling African Market, where you can discover unique treasures to take home. Connect with others through playing SAWA and learning valuable lessons from captivating stories. Refreshments will be served, so come ready to enjoy!

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

7:30 AM

Breakfast

9:00 AM

Opening Remarks

9:30 AM

Plenary Session

A Panel of National Funders: Opportunities for African Immigrant Health

This plenary session will bring together national funders to share funding priorities and explore effective strategies for supporting community-academic partnerships focused on African immigrant health.

  • Al Richmond, Executive Director of Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (moderator)
  • Amber Wilson, National Institute of Health, Office of AIDS Research
  • Christine Fu, Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
  • Courtney Clyatt, Senior Program Officer, Patient-Centered Research Outcomes (PCORI)
11:00 AM

SAWA Game

11:05 AM

Break

11:15 AM

Research Speed Dating

12:30 AM

Lunch

1:30 PM

Small Talk with Report Back

3:15 PM

Closing Remarks

3:30 PM

Summit Adjourns