Last week, our college celebrated two kick-off events on Feb. 1, the start of Black History Month and the start of CSU’s chapter of the National Association of Black Veterinarians (NABV), spearheaded by our Black veterinary students. NABV Chapter President and second-year veterinary student Mercer Butts honored Dr. Thomas W. Stewart, the first Black veterinarian to graduate from CSU, as well as other Black leaders that hailed from CSU. Mercer also noted the importance of continuing to increase the representation of Black veterinarians in the field. He noted that over half of Black families have pets, but yet Black veterinarians make up only 2% of the profession. When we add to this that the profession lacks enough veterinarians to serve many communities nationally, we see this as a crisis. Yet, this celebration and organization of our first chapter of NABV, and the community that our Black students have built inspires us. At CSU, we are excited about the future of our Black students and colleagues and the amazing legacy they will continue and build upon. Join CSU for our Black History Month events.