Cuba’s free med school draws Detroit crowd

A crowd of students and community activists gathered at the Detroit City Council chambers Dec. 9 to hear the Rev. Lucius Walker from Pastors for Peace describe a program offering free medical schooling in Cuba.

Lucius Walker and Detroit Councilmember JoAnn Watson. WW photo: David Sole

Detroit City Councilmember JoAnn Watson hosted the meeting, held on International Human Rights Day.

After describing Cuba’s great gains in providing free medical care for all its people thanks to the 1959 Revolution, Walker went on to talk about the generous offer the Cuban government has made to poor people and students of color in the United States.

He told how the Latin American School of Medicine was established in a former Cuban naval base. “Why can’t the U.S. government convert the Fort Benning School of the Americas to teach medicine instead of teaching torture?” he asked.

Currently there are about 100 students from the United States at the Cuban medical school. Cuba has offered to train 500.

After Walker’s presentation, students from Michigan State University, Wayne County Community College and other schools met with him to find out more about how to apply to study medicine in Cuba.

The entire program, along with the lively question-and-answer session, will be broadcast over Detroit’s public TV cable station for the rest of the month.

For more information go to: www.pastorsforpeace.org.