Author Debby Irving to Discuss Systemic Racism

Part of "Community Grand Rounds: Healing the Trauma of Racism" series

Debby Irving (Photo by Spectrum Health Lakeland)

Professionals in medicine, allied health fields, and social work, as well as government leaders and community members are invited to attend a free workshop, “I'm a Good Person! Isn't That Enough? How Power and Privilege Undermine Best Intentions,” featuring award-winning author Debby Irving on Thursday, October 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, located at 1300 Cinema Way in Benton Harbor.

The event is part of a three-year series entitled, “Community Grand Rounds: Healing the Trauma of Racism.” The workshop will feature Irving, racial justice educator and award-winning author, as the keynote speaker. In her presentation, Irving will explore how her beliefs influenced her interpretation of the world through U.S. history, media messages, and cultural habits. She will share how she spent decades silently reaffirming harmful, outdated racial patterns instead of questioning the racial disparities and tensions she could see and feel.

“During my time as a community organizer and teacher for 25 years, I did not fully understand systemic racism, nor my own whiteness as an obstacle to coming to grips with it,” said Irving. “Through this event I hope to further educate participants on the factors which have led to today’s social climate and what they can do to address social inequities in their own community.”

Community Grand Rounds is a collaborative effort between Spectrum Health Lakeland and The Todman Family Foundation. Preregistration for this event is required by visiting www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/cgr.

About Spectrum Health Lakeland
Spectrum Health Lakeland is a non-profit, community-owned health system serving southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. We offer a full continuum of care and wellness services including three hospitals, an outpatient surgery center, a cancer center, and 41 physician practices. Lakeland is a division of Spectrum Health with 31,000 compassionate professionals, 4,200 medical staff experts, 3,200 committed volunteers and a health plan serving 1 million members. Lakeland was named at 100 Top Hospital in 2019 by IBM Watson HealthTM.