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Riverside–Members of the community are invited to attend the Inland Empire Black Health Expo on the campus of the University of California, Riverside on Saturday, Nov. 21. The expo runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and it is located on the third floor of the HUB. There is no cost to attend the expo, but those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP online at go.ucr.edu/bhe. Free parking is available in Lot 1.

The second annual Black Health Expo will be held on Nov. 21.

“The purpose of the expo is to create an environment specifically dedicated to improving health care disparities in the African American community,” said Ken Simons, director of African Student Programs. “I hope it serves as a catalyst that drives African Americans and health care professionals to become more involved in improving minority health disparities.”

UCR African Student Programs is teaming up with African Americans United in Science, the Riverside Community Heath Foundation and the J.W. Vines Foundation to put on the expo.

“We plan to get our Inland Empire community interested and excited in embracing the gift of wellness through prevention by leading a healthier lifestyle and making better choices,” said Linda Njaka, health educator at Riverside Community Health Foundation. “We will help serve as the bridge to introducing our participants to local services and also connect with them on an individual basis.”

The expo will include workshops and speakers, community resources, health screenings such as blood pressure monitoring, health-related vendors, and presentations on fitness, heart health, mental health, infectious diseases and more.

“The goal of the expo is to expose our local community to a healthier lifestyle and introduce several resources that are available to them,” Simons explained. “We hope to accomplish this by providing free health screenings and information on self-examinations along with workshops on mental health, diabetes, nutrition, Black hair issues and health, and cancer.”