I grew up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My mother is from Louisiana and my father is from Sierra Leone, West Africa. Growing up in the suburbs, I did not feel the effects of racism even though I had seen and experienced it sporadically throughout my upbringing. The earliest memory I have of experiencing racism is when I was around seven or eight years old. I was keenly aware of what I was happening. As I look back on that memory, I am saddened for that young girl that already knew what racism was and was able to tell her friend that her mother was prejudiced.
Fast forward many years, I am now living in Louisiana. I married, had a daughter and began volunteering and working part-time at our local animal shelter. Everything is going great. Then, the summer of 2016 came. That summer opened my eyes to the racism within animal welfare. It had reached the point to where I had to make a statement on our volunteer page because of racially charged insensitive comments. My head was spinning. I found myself in conversations with people that had me thinking, “WTF?!?”
As I continue to work in animal welfare, I am more aware of and sensitive to the racial disparities and racism in this field and beyond. I have seen how certain people are treated as less than and are not afforded the same compassion as an animal. This should not be. My hope is that those of us in this field will take our love for animals and use that to show compassion for and minister to the people that own them. The love of animals is universal. We can use that commonality to be more understanding, compassionate and inclusive of others that are not typically the face of animal welfare. Then, hopefully, this will extend beyond animal welfare.
As I continue to work in animal welfare, I am more aware of and sensitive to the racial disparities and racism in this field and beyond. I have seen how certain people are treated as less than and are not afforded the same compassion as an animal. This should not be.
I strive to be this person and set an example for those around me, especially my daughter.