Across Cultures and Beyond Borders: Morgan Students Explore Public Health and Culture in Brazil

Inaugural Study Abroad Experience in Salvador Brings Together Students from Morgan and Georgia State to Examine Connections Between Community, Culture and Health

For three weeks in Salvador, Bahia, three Morgan State University undergraduates experienced public health far beyond the traditional classroom here on our National Treasure campus—living with local families, learning Portuguese, engaging with Afro-Brazilian communities and examining how history, culture and structural inequities shape health and well-being. The immersive experience marked a series of firsts: Morgan’s first public-health-focused study abroad program in Brazil, the first study abroad experience for each participating student, and a new opportunity to explore connections between Black communities across the Americas.

Led by Genese Clark, Ph.D., assistant professor in Morgan State University’s School of Community Health and Policy (SCHP), Health, Family, and Community: An Asset-Based Exploration of the Afro-Brazilian Experience brought Morgan students together with a Georgia State University public health cohort for three weeks of experiential learning in Salvador. Morgan’s inaugural cohort included Geneva Brookins, a junior majoring in Multi-Platform Production; Kayla Thomas, a sophomore majoring in Multimedia Journalism; and Nia-Imani Tolefree, a senior majoring in Entrepreneurship. 

“This program was intentionally designed to move learning beyond the classroom and allow students to examine public health through the lived experiences, history, and cultural strengths of Afro-Brazilian communities,” said Dr. Clark. “Salvador provided a powerful setting for students to explore the connections between the Black American and Afro-Brazilian experiences. Most importantly, I wanted students to recognize the resilience and assets within these communities and consider how those lessons can inform their own disciplines, careers, and commitment to advancing health equity.”

Studying alongside the Georgia State University cohort composed primarily of graduate students, the three Morgan scholars were immersed in a uniquely cross-institutional, intergenerational and transnational learning experience. Students explored how structural racism, social determinants of health, cultural traditions, and community strengths influence health and well-being across the African diaspora. Homestays with local families, Portuguese-language instruction, public health lectures, service-learning activities, and visits to health and educational institutions enriched the students’ learning while deepening their understanding. 

All three Morgan students who traveled to Brazil were undergraduate women majoring outside of public health—in journalism, multiplatform production and entrepreneurship—highlighting the program’s interdisciplinary reach and relevance across academic disciplines. The trip marked each student’s first study abroad experience, and for one participant, it was her first time traveling outside of the United States.

“As I reflected on everything I learned, I realized that resilience isn’t preserved by accident. It is intentionally taught, shared and lived,” shared Geneva Brookins, Morgan’s Miss Study Abroad for the 2026–27 academic year. “Those everyday experiences showed me that health and well-being are not shaped only by healthcare.” 

The collaborative engagement and cross-disciplinary work with Georgia State’s program participants further enriched the experience for the Morgan trio. Moreover, the learning outcomes far exceeded expectations.

Through the experience, students deepened their understanding of historical connections between Black American and Afro-Brazilian communities, explored how both have responded to racism and structural inequities, and gained greater insight into the strategies communities employ to promote health and well-being. Participants also gained a greater understanding of how these impacts influence health outcomes.

“Learning alongside Afro-Brazilian communities and recognizing the connections to the Black American experience re-ignited my passion for advancing equity, added Nia-Imani Tolefree, this academic year’s presiding Miss Afro of MSU. “It also opened my eyes to public health as a path I can pursue, regardless of my undergraduate major, and inspired me to consider earning an MPH.”

Throughout the three-week experience, students documented their learning through daily photographs and written reflections. Their final projects challenged them to synthesize what they learned through visual documentation, critical reflection, cross-national comparisons, and assessments of their personal and professional growth. All three participants shared a strong recommendation of the program to other students and expressed a willingness to serve as study abroad mentors, extending the impact of their international experience to other members of the Morgan community.

The program also advanced the goals of Transformation Morgan 2030, the University’s strategic plan, by expanding access to global learning, strengthening experiential education, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and creating pathways for students to explore academic and career opportunities in public health.

As Morgan continues to expand its global learning opportunities, the inaugural Brazil experience provides a model for integrating public health education, cultural immersion, and interdisciplinary learning while preparing students to understand and address complex health inequities at home and abroad.

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