Lansing Legend: Dr. Surae Eaton-Sangster

One thing they don’t tell you about being a doctor is that your job doesn’t end once you retire. Dr. Surae Eaton-Sangster, 72, is one of Lansing’s most remembered family doctors. She sees her time working at Sparrow as a blessing and continues to view her profession as a means to connect with her greater community. 

How long have you lived in Lansing?

I was born at Sparrow Hospital. I was gone for 17-18 years but been back for 38 years or so. 

What got you into family medicine?

I went to Howard University planning to go into physical therapy, however Howard did not offer such a program (laughs), but I was accepted to Howard! I knew I would figure it out. It was the ‘60s and the peak of the civil rights movement and I ended up with a group of students who would lead demonstrations and organize student sit-ins. Then I suddenly decided that I didn't need to go to school. I dropped out. I wanted to help people in my community and helped start a space called the Center for Black Education. We took over an old house in a ghetto of D.C. and offered a lot of programs: educational, childcare and of course a medical program. Howard medical students and faculty volunteered and a local doctor donated equipment to us as far as microscopes, medical beds and ophthalmoscopes. Dr. Roux was my supervisor at the center and one day he said, “Surae, you can’t practice medicine without a license.” It was that impetus that made me want to return to school. I applied to Howard and Michigan State, got into both, and decided to come back to Michigan State where my support system was. 

How long did the Center for Black Education last?

I’d say at least five or six years. In the end, we ran out of funding, and all went our separate ways. D.C. really changed things for me. I tell my kids today, I used to not see white people for weeks. It was my first time seeing abject poverty. Coming from Lansing, to see the dichotomy of poverty there was just an eye opener for me. 

Where were you during the King assassinations?

I don’t know if I want that on tape (laughs). It was a wild time up and down Georgia Avenue and 14th Street. All the main streets in D.C. 

Has your opinions on rioting changed over time?

As I’ve matured, I no longer think there is a reason for rioting for civil discord or as an outlet. For several reasons. It’s often in our own communities where we’re destroying businesses. We’re rioting for our own gains, like stealing TVs for own personal reward. Certainly, demonstrations are something we should continue to do, but rioting does not lead to any progress at all.

What was the pandemic like for you?

Last January, the governor developed a program called Protect Michigan for COVID though Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It was divided into 19 workgroups. I was the chair of the senior health workgroup, which had people from different counties working in nursing homes or AAA (Aging Assistance Agency). Within Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham we would put on clinics and with both AARP and the Protect Michigan workgroup.  We created phone trees and called people to collect questions people had about the vaccine. We focused on Southeast Michigan, which was a void in the number of vaccinated people. In Ingham County, we focused on housing clinics in Black churches.  Protect Michigan was only commissioned for a year, but we ended with 88% vaccination rate for ages 65+ statewide. 

What was the biggest barrier in outreach?

Probably the biggest barrier in terms of COVID outreach was technology. Because in most cases you had to register to get a vaccine, and that registration was online. At least in Ingham and Eaton County we primarily focused on African American churches and setting up walk-in clinics, such as the Lansing Mall. 

What clubs are you in?

I’m the treasurer of the Greater Lansing Area Club of the Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club Inc. It’s a chapter of a national organization that has been around since 1935. My mother started the Lansing club in 1982, which is known as the Greater Lansing Area Club. GLAC, as well as the national association, does a lot of community outreach like back-to-school backpacks for kids. Every year we have a Founder’s Day, which is coming up next month, and we give out the Sojourner Truth award to recognize some outstanding individual in the Lansing area. We also have a community service award and other things based on what people have done in the community. 

What was 2020-‘21 like for you as a care provider?

First, my husband has a chronic lung condition and needs a lung transplant, so my biggest concern was keeping him away from COVID. I do a lot of consultation with friends and family. I have a nephew who had a stroke a few years ago and needs a lot of advocating in hospitals. 

The reason flu season was basically nonexistent in 2021 was because we were wearing masks. I was at a Michigan State basketball game, and they have discontinued mask wearing, which surprised me. I still wore my mask. We went from you couldn’t get in without your immunization card and wearing a mask to just “come on in.” But it’s still an issue because you don’t know who is vaccinated, and even if they are, they could be asymptomatic carriers. 

Can community help you stay healthier?

It does! I think I’ve always enjoyed exercise. I play pickleball at least once a week and like going on walks with friends. My son’s a runner and my daughter owns a spinning gym studio while working for the Pacers. My sister is amazing, she’s 83 and still runs 5Ks. She just did the Turkey Trot and came to Thanksgiving dinner with her first-place medal. She is my inspiration. 

We lost quite a few people in the Lansing area to COVID and the individuals that we lost were primarily unvaccinated. I didn’t take care of COVID patients, however, experts on TV did speak often of premorbid conditions and people didn’t do so well when they had obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension — things that are often preventable with good health maintenance. A sense of spirituality is also important for good health, whether you call that God or not. You need to feel connected to the world.

Audrey Matusz, the author of this series, is a former arts and culture editor of City Pulse who was born in Lansing and grew up in Okemos. She is a graduate of the Residential College of the Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University. She is a digital and instructional designer for the Michigan Victim Advocacy Network.