Visiting poet and performer to talk about kidney disease Jan. 13

January 7, 2003
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ANN ARBOR—In three years, poet and performer Sekou Sundiata not only survived kidney failure and a kidney transplant but recovered from a serious car accident. His current traveling show, "Blessing the Boats," is a poetic account of the highest and lowest of those years. University of Michigan’s Life Sciences, Values and Society Program will sponsor a discussion with Sundiata about his journey as part of the Health, Arts and Human Condition series. "Understanding the Patient Experience through the Arts: Kidney Disease and Transplantation," scheduled at 4-5:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Michigan League Hussey Room, is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Two U-M faculty members will join Sundiata on a panel. Lester Monts, an ethnomusicologist, will talk about the healing power of music and ritual in the African and African-American experience. He will also talk about Sundiata’s work in a cultural-historical context. He is senior vice provost for academic and multicultural affairs, senior counselor to the president for arts, diversity and undergraduate affairs and a professor at the U-M School of Music. Akinlolu Ojo will discuss why African-Americans are at elevated risk for kidney disease, why they are less likely to receive transplants when needed and why transplants are more likely to fail in this population. Ojo is an associate professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School. Amy Sheon, associate director of the Life Sciences, Values and Society Program, will moderate the discussion. Sundiata’s appearance is in conjunction with the University Musical Society. Jan. 17-19, Sundiata will perform "Blessing the Boats," poetry, prose and monologues that Sundiata describes as "a poetic account of how I got from there to here, a chronicle of the remarkable transplant patients and organ donors I met…" For tickets call (734) 764-8538. For more information about the panel discussion, contact Kathy Murrel at LSVSP krmurrel@umich.edu or (734) 647-4571. Sponsors include: The University of Michigan’s Life Sciences, Values and Society Program; The Program in Culture, Health and Medicine; Gifts of Art; and the University Musical Society. Co-sponsors include: Center for Afroamerican and African Studies; Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Center; Program in Society and Medicine; School of Social Work; and the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. For more about the Life Sciences, Values and Society Program: http://www.lifesciences.umich.edu/values/index.html University Musical Society details on Sundiata’s performances: http://www.ums.org/season/artists/ap.asp?pageid=116 For more information about Sekou Sundiata: http://www.multiartsprojects.com/artists/sekousundiata/sekousundiata.php

University Musical Societyhttp://www.lifesciences.umich.edu/values/index.htmlhttp://www.ums.org/season/artists/ap.asp?pageid=116http://www.multiartsprojects.com/artists/sekousundiata/sekousundiata.php