Black History Shoutout: Black Mothers

Actually MY mother, to be specific.

Today is my mother's birthday, so what better day to salute her than this? I don't even know where to begin.  Never in my life have I met anyone as strong, loving, smart, funny, beautiful, and caring as my mama.  To me, she is the perfect model of what a Black woman should be.  She is bold and educated, and will not be treated poorly.  She has been there for me in ways that I couldn't even begin to count or explain.  She's always there to listen, she gives good advice, she's a prayer warrior, and she makes really good pancakes from scratch.  (Y'all know I love food so I HAD to throw that one in there, lol). 

So I stated in a previous post that I am a daddy's girl, there's no denying that, but every day there's something that I do, say or think that shows me that I am my mama's daughter, through and through. 

What my mom (and my dad) have given me, that means the most in my life, has been encouragement.  There was never anything I didn't believe I could accomplish.  If I said I wanted to be an astronaut, lawyer, doctor, teacher, veterinarian, physical therapist-- whatever-- my mom would be there behind me every step of the way, reminding me that I can succeed.  She ad my dad are the reason that I am where I am today. 

She's an amazing mother, the best daughter two people could have ever asked for, a wonderful Soror, a friend.  I can only hope that I can be half the woman she is.  Happy Birthday mama!

Black History Spotlight: Diversity in Veterinary Medicine

Many people know that I am in vet school.  Other than Tuskegee, which is about 50% Black, there isn't a lot of diversity in the veterinary world.  This is a problem, and the American Veterinary Medical Association has recognized that and wants to change it.  I thought this article was very interesting.  It is about two vets, one white, one black, who started working together in the late 60s and are both big proponents of diversity.  Before I had my interview at Tuskegee's vet school, I'd never actually seen a Black veterinarian.  There is one in a neighboring city to my hometown, but I had never met him.  Other minorities are also very underrepresented, and hopefully one day this will change

Check out the article on the website of the AVMA: Diversity in Practice

Black History Shoutout: Black Fathers

I decided that for Black History Month I wanted to talk about a part of the black community that I feel really gets a bad wrap: fathers.  If you only judged what the media potrays, you'd think no Black people have fathers in their lives.  Beyond Scared Straight, 16 & Pregnant, crime dramas and other shows often portray troubled Black teens who are fatherless.  Many of these kids cite lack of a father as the reason for their misbehavior.  (First of that's a big load of bull itself considering that lots of folks with missing fathers are not doing drugs, getting knocked up at 15, committing crimes, etc.  But I digress…)  But what about the rest of us? They might not all be married (and lets face it being married doesn't make you a good parent), but many of us have loving, supportive fathers, who are there for us when we need them.  There are even some fathers out there doing it on their own… they have custody of their children and are the primary care takers, and when I see these fathers, it really makes my heart smile. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an ultimate daddy's girl, as most girls tend to be.  Of course we all love our mothers dearly but there's just something about our daddies.  And yes, I am a grown woman who still calls my male parent daddy- father sounds so impersonal.  My daddy is my biggest fan.  He tells every one he knows that I am in vet school.  As a child I have vivid memories of quality time spent with my daddy.  Trips to the fair and the circus, after school visits to the local ice cream shop, trips to the mall, and more.  He was there to make sure I did homework, motivate me to be the best I can be, and teach me that I don't need a man to take care of me because I can be a strong, independent woman.  He was always proud of me because no matter what, he knew I did my best.

 In high school he was probably one of the two favorote band boosters, and even today if I catch up with an old bandmate on Facebook or see them out in the mall, they ALWAYS ask me how my daddy is doing.  He is a man who loves to help children, and kids of all ages love him.  Babies reach for him when they are being held by their mothers.  Kids that he has taught always speack if we are out and they see him, and they are always smiling. 

My wish is that God will send me a husband who will be as good of a husband and father as my daddy is, but I must say, he has set that bar VERY high, so someone has their work cut out for them!  He's always been a blessing in my life, and the lives of others, and I thank God every day for my daddy.