Davenport University faculty members are known for investing deeply in their students, but their work and influence often extend beyond the classroom. 

This month, associate professor and department chair of Davenport University’s College of Urban Education, Rashid Faisal, is bringing his expertise to the public with a special presentation in partnership with the Michigan State Medical Society. Faisal will give a virtual History of Medicine presentation, “Alexander Loudin Turner, M.D.: First Black General Surgeon of Detroit; Breaking Down Barriers and the Making of Dunbar Hospital” on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m.

The virtual event will be broadcast through Zoom and is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Visit https://connect.msms.org/Education-Events/Calendar-of-Events to register and receive the Zoom link. The presentation will also be recorded for viewing at a later date.  

“In our course, Foundations of Urban Education, we emphasize exploring urban school and community issues using a root-cause analysis,” said Faisal. “History is important because it enables students to explore the historical roots of many of the contemporary issues in education we face today.”

The presentation will explore the life and legacy of Alexander Loudin Turner, M.D., Detroit’s first Black general surgeon and a founding member of Dunbar Hospital, the city’s first Black-owned and operated nonprofit medical institution. Set against the backdrop of the Great Migration, Faisal’s talk will examine how systemic discrimination in housing, education and health care limited opportunities for Black Americans, and how those barriers shaped Detroit’s racial and geographic inequalities.

Through the story of Dr. Turner and his colleagues, the presentation will highlight how Black medical professionals responded to exclusion with resilience and innovation. Denied access to white hospitals, they built their own institutions, places that provided not only medical care, but also professional training, dignity and hope for Black communities.

Dr. Turner’s pioneering work stands as a powerful example of self-determination and professional excellence, underscoring the enduring connection between community-based resistance and today’s ongoing struggle for racial and health equity.

For more information contact the Michigan State Medical Society education department at educationdept@msms.org or 517-336-5790. MSMS is a professional society representing physicians and medical students in Michigan. The mission of the MSMS is to improve the lives of physicians so they may best care for the people they serve.