One Health

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Very powerful and empowering.

Thank you for sharing.

------------------------------
Leslie Moran
Executive Director
Emerald Ark
NV
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 09:54 AM
From: Kayla Anderson
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Happy Black History Month! I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite quotes from two highly influential figures in Black history whose works deeply resonate with me. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, these quotes pertain to the concept of love for one another and our community.

 

James Baldwin was a civil rights activist that wrote many works on the Black experience in America. A favorite of mine, The Fire Next Time (1963), contains two essays that very much encapsulate how it feels to exist in a society that was, fundamentally, never meant to accommodate those that looked like you. Though it was written over 50 years ago, the work feels timeless and very relevant in the 2020's.

 

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word 'love' here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

 

"The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light."

 

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

 

bell hooks (who purposefully stylized her pen name in lowercase to bring more emphasis to her work as opposed to who created it) is another author that wrote on the intersections of race, gender, and economic class, which is often overlooked in discussions about racism, feminism, and poverty respectively. Her most famous book, All About Love (2000), is a must-read that dissects how we are socialized from birth to give and receive love, and how we can change our perception of love (as something to be practiced, rather than just said/felt) to be truer to ourselves and better fulfill our emotional needs.

 

"The wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love."

"The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

 

"To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone."

 

Which figures of Black history have inspired you? Which of their works/words/actions have had the most impact on you?

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Happy Black History Month!! Thank you for your post and for working to make veterinary care more accessible to pet parents in your community. Thanks again for this post, very well said & inspirational!

------------------------------
Samantha Albawab
Founder and Director
Pueblo Spay and Neuter Now
CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 09:54 AM
From: Kayla Anderson
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Happy Black History Month! I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite quotes from two highly influential figures in Black history whose works deeply resonate with me. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, these quotes pertain to the concept of love for one another and our community.

 

James Baldwin was a civil rights activist that wrote many works on the Black experience in America. A favorite of mine, The Fire Next Time (1963), contains two essays that very much encapsulate how it feels to exist in a society that was, fundamentally, never meant to accommodate those that looked like you. Though it was written over 50 years ago, the work feels timeless and very relevant in the 2020's.

 

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word 'love' here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

 

"The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light."

 

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

 

bell hooks (who purposefully stylized her pen name in lowercase to bring more emphasis to her work as opposed to who created it) is another author that wrote on the intersections of race, gender, and economic class, which is often overlooked in discussions about racism, feminism, and poverty respectively. Her most famous book, All About Love (2000), is a must-read that dissects how we are socialized from birth to give and receive love, and how we can change our perception of love (as something to be practiced, rather than just said/felt) to be truer to ourselves and better fulfill our emotional needs.

 

"The wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love."

"The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

 

"To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone."

 

Which figures of Black history have inspired you? Which of their works/words/actions have had the most impact on you?

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Thank you for sharing this, Kayla!  I was familiar with James Baldwin, but not with bell hooks.

Would you mind if we shared your inspiring piece on social media?  Crediting you for your work, of course!  In a time when everyone from Google to the DOD are dropping observations of "identity months", it's nice to have the normalcy of sharing information I wasn't previously aware of.  It's wonderful how you framed it all through the lens of love.

------------------------------
April King
Volunteer and Board Member
Kotor Kitties
+1 206 407 5336
http://www.kotorkitties.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 09:54 AM
From: Kayla Anderson
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Happy Black History Month! I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite quotes from two highly influential figures in Black history whose works deeply resonate with me. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, these quotes pertain to the concept of love for one another and our community.

 

James Baldwin was a civil rights activist that wrote many works on the Black experience in America. A favorite of mine, The Fire Next Time (1963), contains two essays that very much encapsulate how it feels to exist in a society that was, fundamentally, never meant to accommodate those that looked like you. Though it was written over 50 years ago, the work feels timeless and very relevant in the 2020's.

 

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word 'love' here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

 

"The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light."

 

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

 

bell hooks (who purposefully stylized her pen name in lowercase to bring more emphasis to her work as opposed to who created it) is another author that wrote on the intersections of race, gender, and economic class, which is often overlooked in discussions about racism, feminism, and poverty respectively. Her most famous book, All About Love (2000), is a must-read that dissects how we are socialized from birth to give and receive love, and how we can change our perception of love (as something to be practiced, rather than just said/felt) to be truer to ourselves and better fulfill our emotional needs.

 

"The wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love."

"The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

 

"To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone."

 

Which figures of Black history have inspired you? Which of their works/words/actions have had the most impact on you?

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Thank you very much, April! I completely agree, the movement against DEI has felt very devastating and we have yet to even see the full ramifications of it. No, I would not mind at all if you shared the post 👍

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-16-2025 05:27 PM
From: April King
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Thank you for sharing this, Kayla!  I was familiar with James Baldwin, but not with bell hooks.

Would you mind if we shared your inspiring piece on social media?  Crediting you for your work, of course!  In a time when everyone from Google to the DOD are dropping observations of "identity months", it's nice to have the normalcy of sharing information I wasn't previously aware of.  It's wonderful how you framed it all through the lens of love.

------------------------------
April King
Volunteer and Board Member
Kotor Kitties
+1 206 407 5336
http://www.kotorkitties.org

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 09:54 AM
From: Kayla Anderson
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Happy Black History Month! I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite quotes from two highly influential figures in Black history whose works deeply resonate with me. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, these quotes pertain to the concept of love for one another and our community.

 

James Baldwin was a civil rights activist that wrote many works on the Black experience in America. A favorite of mine, The Fire Next Time (1963), contains two essays that very much encapsulate how it feels to exist in a society that was, fundamentally, never meant to accommodate those that looked like you. Though it was written over 50 years ago, the work feels timeless and very relevant in the 2020's.

 

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word 'love' here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

 

"The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light."

 

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

 

bell hooks (who purposefully stylized her pen name in lowercase to bring more emphasis to her work as opposed to who created it) is another author that wrote on the intersections of race, gender, and economic class, which is often overlooked in discussions about racism, feminism, and poverty respectively. Her most famous book, All About Love (2000), is a must-read that dissects how we are socialized from birth to give and receive love, and how we can change our perception of love (as something to be practiced, rather than just said/felt) to be truer to ourselves and better fulfill our emotional needs.

 

"The wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love."

"The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

 

"To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone."

 

Which figures of Black history have inspired you? Which of their works/words/actions have had the most impact on you?

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

I read bell hooks' book "Feminism is for Everybody" in college and it opened my eyes to understanding inequality in American society. I'm also a big fan of James Baldwin. I enjoyed his play "Blues for Mister Charlie" as well as his novel "Giovanni's Room".

My favorite author is Toni Morrison. The way that she writes is as if she's writing poetry, and yet she tackles serious social issues. I read "Song of Solomon" and "The Bluest Eye" and recommend these two books to anyone interested in seeing how a master uses the english language. 

------------------------------
Kade Alexie
Donor Support Specialist
Stray Cat Alliance
CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 09:54 AM
From: Kayla Anderson
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Happy Black History Month! I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite quotes from two highly influential figures in Black history whose works deeply resonate with me. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, these quotes pertain to the concept of love for one another and our community.

 

James Baldwin was a civil rights activist that wrote many works on the Black experience in America. A favorite of mine, The Fire Next Time (1963), contains two essays that very much encapsulate how it feels to exist in a society that was, fundamentally, never meant to accommodate those that looked like you. Though it was written over 50 years ago, the work feels timeless and very relevant in the 2020's.

 

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word 'love' here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

 

"The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light."

 

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

 

bell hooks (who purposefully stylized her pen name in lowercase to bring more emphasis to her work as opposed to who created it) is another author that wrote on the intersections of race, gender, and economic class, which is often overlooked in discussions about racism, feminism, and poverty respectively. Her most famous book, All About Love (2000), is a must-read that dissects how we are socialized from birth to give and receive love, and how we can change our perception of love (as something to be practiced, rather than just said/felt) to be truer to ourselves and better fulfill our emotional needs.

 

"The wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love."

"The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

 

"To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone."

 

Which figures of Black history have inspired you? Which of their works/words/actions have had the most impact on you?

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Celebrating Black History month and looking at our pioneers in Health.......

Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston

In 1986 her study of sickle-cell disease led to a nationwide screening program to test newborns for immediate treatment, and she was the first African American woman to direct a public health service bureau (the Bureau of Primary Health Care in the United States Department of Health and Human Services). 

Dr. Helen Dickens

She was the first African-American woman to be admitted to the American College of Surgeons in 1950, and specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She was a physician, medical and social activist, health equity advocate, researcher, health administrator, and health educator. Dr Dickens founded the Teen Clinic at The University of Pennsylvania. Wanting to provide better healthcare to the African-American community, Dickens worked to combat the racial and residential segregation integrated into medicine.

------------------------------
T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 09:54 AM
From: Kayla Anderson
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Happy Black History Month! I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite quotes from two highly influential figures in Black history whose works deeply resonate with me. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, these quotes pertain to the concept of love for one another and our community.

 

James Baldwin was a civil rights activist that wrote many works on the Black experience in America. A favorite of mine, The Fire Next Time (1963), contains two essays that very much encapsulate how it feels to exist in a society that was, fundamentally, never meant to accommodate those that looked like you. Though it was written over 50 years ago, the work feels timeless and very relevant in the 2020's.

 

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word 'love' here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

 

"The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light."

 

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

 

bell hooks (who purposefully stylized her pen name in lowercase to bring more emphasis to her work as opposed to who created it) is another author that wrote on the intersections of race, gender, and economic class, which is often overlooked in discussions about racism, feminism, and poverty respectively. Her most famous book, All About Love (2000), is a must-read that dissects how we are socialized from birth to give and receive love, and how we can change our perception of love (as something to be practiced, rather than just said/felt) to be truer to ourselves and better fulfill our emotional needs.

 

"The wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love."

"The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

 

"To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone."

 

Which figures of Black history have inspired you? Which of their works/words/actions have had the most impact on you?

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------

Here's a great online/streaming concert opportunity, on Tuesday, Feb. 25th.  Your $15 streaming fee goes to benefit the vet scholarship fund honoring Dr. Jodie Blackwell.

 Extraction to Extraordinary

------------------------------
April King
Volunteer and Board Member
Kotor Kitties
+1 206 407 5336
http://www.kotorkitties.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2025 09:54 AM
From: Kayla Anderson
Subject: Celebrating Black History Month ✨

Happy Black History Month! I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite quotes from two highly influential figures in Black history whose works deeply resonate with me. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, these quotes pertain to the concept of love for one another and our community.

 

James Baldwin was a civil rights activist that wrote many works on the Black experience in America. A favorite of mine, The Fire Next Time (1963), contains two essays that very much encapsulate how it feels to exist in a society that was, fundamentally, never meant to accommodate those that looked like you. Though it was written over 50 years ago, the work feels timeless and very relevant in the 2020's.

 

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word 'love' here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."

 

"The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light."

 

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

 

bell hooks (who purposefully stylized her pen name in lowercase to bring more emphasis to her work as opposed to who created it) is another author that wrote on the intersections of race, gender, and economic class, which is often overlooked in discussions about racism, feminism, and poverty respectively. Her most famous book, All About Love (2000), is a must-read that dissects how we are socialized from birth to give and receive love, and how we can change our perception of love (as something to be practiced, rather than just said/felt) to be truer to ourselves and better fulfill our emotional needs.

 

"The wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other's truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love."

"The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

 

"To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic (showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate), we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way. Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic, allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act, know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone."

 

Which figures of Black history have inspired you? Which of their works/words/actions have had the most impact on you?

------------------------------
Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
------------------------------