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ABOUT THE CENTER

The Cultural Wellness Center is a transformative space dedicated to guiding individuals from a focus on race to a deeper connection with culture. Through our experiential learning, research-based classes, coaching, consulting, and certification programs, we empower personal healing, strengthen communities, and equip organizations to build inclusive, culturally-rich environments.

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Hightlights at CWC

Kwanzaa 2024: Pan-African Remembering

The Cultural Wellness Center is celebrating Kwanzaa at the Midtown Global Market from December 26 through December 31, 2024 (6 days of Kwanzaa) 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. It a Pan -African Remembering Reconnecting Culturally to our Attire and achieving Wellness through Looking Good and Feeling Good Inside Out. Don’t Hide Your Pain. Let’s Heal together!

Features & Special Presentations:

• Keiona Cook and Lovely's Sewing & Arts Collective with a Fashion Show on Dec 26 & 31

• Every day, we’ll have African Drum and Dance with Master Drummer from Brother Ghana Mbaye from Senegal, and on selected days Special Guest Choreographer, Performer, and Teacher Fatawu Sayibu from Northern Ghana

• Every day we will have a BEST DRESS CONTEST and fashion show from the audience

• T. Mychael Rambo- Grandmother's Hands Children Book

• The Givens Literature/Art Collection Showcase

• Jewelean Jackson -Ms. Kwanzaa- Lifetime National Title

• Annette Gazere- Togo Attire

• James Fefi Oluwole -Nigerian Menswear

• Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan (formerly Ms. Black MN- Poetry

• Rashaunea Ambers-Winston - Poetry

• Lateshia Carter Smash Art and Children’s table – coloring, writing, and painting

• Health and Mental Health Resources

Vendors:

• Lovely's Sewing & Arts Collective

• James Johnson -Children’s Books

• In Black Ink - Books

• Annette Gazere- Togo Attire

• Rituals -Healing & Cultural Products l

• Somali wear

• South African Wear

• Moroccan Items Jewelry, Clothing, rugs, etc...

• Other African Wear

• Vendors from the Global Market

Bring your Family and Friends to enjoy Food, African Art, Drum and Dance, Clothing, Books, & Fun while learning about the principles of Kwanzaa!

Cultural Wellness Center launches GRAB-N-GO at CWC's Community Health Hub Kitchen inside of The Midtown Global Market

The Cultural Wellness Center proudly unveiled its Community Health Hub Kitchen at the Midtown Global Market with a soft launch that highlighted the benefits of ancient grains. This new initiative offers a tantalizing array of Grab-N-Go meals designed to nourish both body and soul, promising a deliciously healthy addition to the market’s vibrant culinary scene.

The Cultural Wellness Center/Ramsey County Partnership wins RWJF Cultural of Health Prize 2024

In 1996, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) honored me with a RWJF Community Health Leadership Award that we used to create and operate the Cultural Wellness Center. Now, 27 years later, RWJF is recognizing our work with Ramsey County

Moving from Race to Culture

Dreamland on 38th: The National and International Headquarters for the Cultural Wellness Center (CWC)

Dreamland on 38th represents the next bold step in the Cultural Wellness Center’s (CWC) mission to unleash the power of people to heal themselves and build community while fostering community health, wellness, and development. This initiative is a dynamic collaboration between the CWC—a visionary nonprofit co-founder of the renowned Midtown Global Market—and Dr. Freeman Waynewood, an esteemed African-American entrepreneur.
Located in the heart of a historic Black neighborhood, Dreamland on 38th will serve as a vibrant anchor for the broader redevelopment of a historic Black Cultural Economic District. It will provide space for staff, partners, and community members to connect, learn, and grow. The headquarters will host on-site classes, trainings, and community gatherings, along with a library and archive dedicated to self-study and scholarship. A retail café and catering kitchen will promote entrepreneurship and offer a space for sharing culture and food—strengthening community bonds and economic growth.
With its unique mission, Dreamland on 38th will honor the legacy of A.B. Cassius, celebrating his vision of social entrepreneurship and his unwavering commitment to building a strong Black community in Minneapolis, where food and culture bring people together.

OUR PARTNERS

START YOUR JOURNEY WITH CWC

The Invisible College

The Invisible College provides consultation and educational services on the impact of culture on health as well as ways to interface with the constituent cultures of the community. The students of the college will learn how to make use of the continuum of medicine in their choices of healing.

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The Health Institute

The Health Institute helps residents interact more knowledgeably with biomedical practitioners, provides referrals, assists in bridging cultural traditions, and provides quality assurance and accreditation for cultural health practices. We serve our community through classes, coaching, consulting, and certifications for people, for families, for communities, and for organizations and institutions.

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Research & Development

The Cultural Wellness Center is one of the original partners of the Midtown Global Market, an initiative that gives new and emerging entrepreneurs, many of them low income and recent immigrants, a prime location and support to build a business and a future.

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Upcoming Classes & Events

Multiple Dates
Yoga Classes EVERY Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. CT
Wed, Jan 15
Virtual Event via Zoom
Jan 15, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Virtual Event via Zoom
Jan 15, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Virtual Event via Zoom
RSVP

Multiple Dates
Zumba Classes Every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. CT
Wed, Jan 15
Virtual Events via Zoom
Jan 15, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Virtual Events via Zoom
Jan 15, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Virtual Events via Zoom
RSVP

Multiple Dates
Zumba Classes Every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. CT
Sat, Jan 18
Virtual Events via Zoom
Jan 18, 2025, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Virtual Events via Zoom
Jan 18, 2025, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Virtual Events via Zoom
RSVP

Multiple Dates
Yoga Classes EVERY Saturday at 2:00 p.m. CT
Sat, Jan 18
Virtual Event via Zoom
Jan 18, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST
Virtual Event via Zoom
Jan 18, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST
Virtual Event via Zoom
RSVP