It’s time to be more inclusive and support people of color

BALTIMORE, MD, UNITED STATES, January 30, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) is proud to announce a bold new initiative and a series of events to help animal loving people of color pursue their dreams of helping cats, dogs and other living creatures.

CARE is partnering with the Black DVM Network, the National Association for Black Veterinarians and several other animal welfare organizations to raise money that will start a seed fund for scholarships for African American veterinary students. Maddie’s Fund^®, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, announced today they will lead off the fundraising effort with a $50,000 grant to start the endowment. The effort also has the support of New York Giants Cornerback Logan Ryan, who himself is passionate about diversity in animal welfare and has his own foundation called RARF, or the Ryan Animal Rescue Foundation.

The scholarship initiative comes at a critical time, as out of more than one hundred thousand veterinarians in the United States, 90 percent are white, less than two percent are Hispanic and almost none are Black.

The scholarship will be named after the late Dr. Jodie G. Blackwell, a veterinary trailblazer who graduated in the second class of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University in 1950. He opened a thriving private practice in Southeast Oklahoma while working relentlessly to advance civil rights. He was also appointed to the Oklahoma Civil Rights Commission by the Governor. Dr. Blackwell continued his private practice for 18 years and joined the faculty at Tuskegee University, where he spent the last 25 years of his professional life.

Dr. Blackwell’s son Michael followed in his father’s footsteps and was one of four students to integrate Gray High School in Idabel, Okla. CARE recognizes the legacy of this family and the importance of access and awareness. Dr. Michael Blackwell is currently the only second- generation Tuskegee veterinary graduate. He is now the Director of Pet Health Equity at the University of Tennessee.

In celebration of Black History Month and to kick off the scholarship fund, CARE will be hosting weekly talks with a panel of African American professionals, including New York Giants player Logan Ryan, who will discuss the issues they face inside and outside the animal welfare industry.

CARE invites everyone to join these conversations, led by our Chief Executive Officer James Evans. In lieu of a registration fee, the public is asked to donate to the new CAREvetFund.

Registration links are on CARE’s Facebook events page. You must pre-register. Speakers are subject to change.

Week 1
Thursday, February 4 from 7 to 8 p.m. EST
Navigating Business While Black in a Time of Turbulence
Speaker:
Uva Coles, Inclusiva
Prerecorded. Live Q & A


Week 2
Thursday, February 11 from 7 to 8 p.m. EST
Diverse Workforce Creates Unique Solutions
Speakers:
Logan Ryan, RARF Founder and CEO and NFL Cornerback, New York Giants
Akisha Townsend Eaton, Animal Legal Defense Fund


Week 3
Wednesday, February 17 from 7 to 8 p.m. EST
The Power of Animals: A look into Mental Health and the Animal Bond
Speakers:
Noah Haislah, @NoahandMilo and Personal Trainer
Candace Croney, PhD, Professor, Animal Behavior and Well-being, Director, Center for Animal Welfare Science


Week 4
Tuesday, February 23 from 7 to 8 p.m. EST
Pathways to Veterinary School
Speakers:
Dr. Hodges and Dr. Ferguson, Critter Fixers
Dr. Michael Blackwell, VM, MPH, FNAP, Director of Programs for Pet Health Equity at the Center for Behavioral Health Research at the University of Tennessee
Dr. Tierra Price, DVM, MPH (she/her/hers) Founder, BlackDVM Network, LLC


About CARE: Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity is a 501©3 nonprofit that addresses organizational and personal biases within animal welfare. The mission is to bring diverse voices to the industry while also advocating for a more inclusive path to pet adoption. CARE believes in using evidence-based tools, narratives and insights to inspire organizations to be more inclusive and less biased. It is all an effort to save more companion animal lives. For more information go to: https://careawo.org.

Maddie’s Fund^® is a family foundation created in 1994 by Workday co-founder Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl, who endowed the Foundation with more than $300 million. Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than $208.9 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education and pet adoptions and foster Companions and Animals for Reform Equity across the U.S. The Duffields named Maddie’s Fund after their Miniature Schnauzer, Maddie, who made them laugh and gave them great joy.

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Mary Tan
Whisker Media
+1 612-209-3303
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