On the last day of our diversity seminar, things got a little more real. I'm going to name names here. Folks in my class like Emily, Anna and Stephanie W. said things to make me know that they "get it." Especially Anna. She always speaks eloquently and says things in a way that are funny but true. These three plus a few others in my class make me feel REALLY comfortable. A lot of times at various events, I am the only black girl there. Eb may be working or just not in attendance for whatever reason. When I'm with this select few, being the only black girl doesn't even matter because I feel comfortable and I don't feel like when they are away from me they use derogatory terms about me or people of color- I can't say that for all of my school mates. But I digress.
We talked a lot about veterinarians being fair. no matter the color of someone's skin, what they are wearing, or how they may seem to you, you offer them your best! If 3 puppies come in with parvo, why do they get different estimates? If the disease is generally treated by taking steps x, y, z, offer that to each person. If someone can't afford it, let them make the choice to do less, but always give the options. I saw this first hand this summer. One vet didn't want to see you if you were black, had lots of tattoos, or just didn't "look" like you had money! Meanwhile, a client of ours who had enough money that he could get a new jag after a "fender bender" wouldn't do shit for his animals on a routine basis. I saw the guy a few times over the summer and he always bitched and complained. I also watched this doctor try to "tell on people" for being racist when she was the one giving treatment plans based on how folks looked. She even mentioned a tattoo-to-tooth ratio and how people with lots of tattoos were less likely to want to spend money. I thought she was an idiot (and an incompetent veterinarian but that's another story).
We talked a lot about people of different socioeconomic status and how they care for their pets or really how some can't care for them. One guy (one of the minorities in the room actually) asked why these people even have pets-and kids. I felt like I talked a lot more that second day. I had to remind him that a few years ago things were different. Our economy has taken a dive these last few years. Someone who may have been making $100,000 a few years ago may be barely making it today. Do they give up their pets and kids because they fell on hard times? I went through the very same thing myself.
There were various comments off and on that made me want to slap someone. One guy seemed to have a bag of ignorance from which he pulled his comments. All in all? I feel the Symposium was great although I know my classmates don't think so. They just do not get it! I heard SEVERAL people complaining about how you "won't change people in 2 days." That is the proof that they don't get it! The seminar wasn't developed to change them. Several of my classmates are probably racist, and no amount of time will change that. The point of this seminar was to bring awareness. To know that there is a lack of diversity in veterinary medicine and to get everyone thinking about why it is important and what they can do to change it. There are still older vets who won't hire women even though we are the majority in the profession now, there are people who won't offer people who look a certain way all of the treatment options, and there are still people who are just bigoted idiots. We can make a difference but only if we see that there is a need.
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