This week we're dipping into the archives to revisit one of our earliest episodes, and one that is also one of the most downloaded ever. So if you caught this the first time or not, we encourage you to give this one a listen.

It was June of 2020, and the nation was gripped by racial tension and division exacerbated by the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man in Minneapolis. Days of protests and demonstrations in all fifty states demanded an end to police brutality. It underscored the dire need to take action to break down institutionalized racism and the treatment of people of color in American society.

As the focus turned to animal welfare, our industry, arguably for the first time, began looking introspectively at the severe lack of diversity and inclusion, both in our staffing and how we relate to the communities we serve, and how that has impacted our communities, and our organizations.

As our guest James Evans, the CEO of CARE, said, the number of pet-loving people of color is in the tens of millions, and addressing this is crucial to ending the killing of pets in our nation's shelters. Moreover, it is a moral imperative for all of us.

**Check out resources and more related to the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion on the website: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-101