MSMS History of Medicine - Alexander Louden Turner, MD: First Black General Surgeon of Detroit
Virtual
Thursday, January 22, 2026
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
iCalendar
Eastern Standard Time
MSMS History of Medicine
Alexander Loudin Turner, MD: First Black General Surgeon of Detroit
Breaking Down Barriers and the Making of Dunbar Hospital
Thursday, January 22, 2026
7:00 – 8:00 pm EST
Join us for our History of Medicine presentation by Rashid Faisal, EdD, MEd, MA, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Davenport University College of Urban Education.
This presentation explores the life and legacy of Alexander Loudin Turner, MD, the first Black general surgeon in Detroit and a founding member of Dunbar Hospital, the city’s first Black-owned and operated non-profit medical institution. Situated against the backdrop of the Great Migration, this talk examines how systemic discrimination in housing, education, and healthcare restricted opportunities for Black Americans and shaped the geography of racial inequality in Detroit.
Through the story of Doctor Turner and his colleagues at Dunbar Hospital, the presentation highlights how Black medical professionals responded to exclusion with innovation, establishing institutions that provided care, training, and dignity to Black communities denied access to white hospitals. Doctor Turner’s pioneering work stands as a testament to the transformative power of self-determination, professional excellence, and community-based resistance in the ongoing struggle for racial and health equity.
This presentation is free, but registration is required. Click here to register and receive the zoom link. The presentation will be recorded for viewing at a later date.
If you have issues with registration, contact educationdept@msms.org or (517) 336-5790.