The Davis-Thompson Foundation wholeheartedly and without reservation supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Since our inception in 1970, our tenets have always included that the Foundation does not discriminate against race.

It is all well and good to for an organization to issue a statement that says that they support Black Lives Matter, but we in the Foundation believe that now is a time for meaningful change.  Our “Black Voices in Pathology” seminar on July 28 is only a first step.  Our already diverse Board of Directors currently seats two black veterinary pathologists, Dr. Tiffany Lyle, head of our Correspondence Division and Dr. Lonzy Ojok of the University of Harare.  We are adding a third prominent black pathologist, Dr. Angela Brice of the University of Pennsylvania, as a permanent ad hoc member to oversee all of the Foundation’s business from an inclusion and diversity standpoint. We look forward to working closely with her, and translating her ideas and input into programs that will better serve all of our members around the world.

Beyond this seminar on Black Voices in Pathology, we will be having additional seminars, both day-seminars and our free Friday seminars which will highlight black pathologists and those in other minorities, whose voices are not always heard in our profession.  It is our goal that one or more Friday seminars each month will be presented by a black pathologist or member of another minority group. This initiative is not only one that will be important for the Foundation in the United States, but one that we believe will translate well in all corners of the globe where the Foundation educates it members.

In order to introduce our “Black Voices in Pathology” to its largest possible audience, we are providing a full day of free RACE CE to attendees.  We also hope that our colleagues and friends will share this flyer within their veterinary schools, as this slate of speakers are an inspiring group and we hope many veterinary students will be part of this audience.