Dr. Joseph sees dogs as agents of healing at NDNU
Meet the Professor
Caitlin Brown
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: News
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"I distinctly remember taking the lid off the box wrapped in Christmas paper. I lifted a black ball of fluff out of the box and looked for the key to, I suspect, wind it up," said Joseph. "Blackie licked my face and I was hooked."
Born and raised in Detroit during the 1950s, Joseph grew up during a time when the great industrial city was in the process of change. Being an only child, Joseph's parents made sure that there were always plenty of children around the household, but she was still a shy and introverted child. She found a best friend in the form of Blackie, the family dog.
When Joseph was a teen-ager, the social fabric of Detroit began to change. In 1967, race riots continued throughout the city as black workers fought against their inequality in the workplace. Joseph's father, a labor union organizer, was active in the social movements. He inspired her to speak up for society's wrongs as he became an active advocate for better working conditions and pay.
When Joseph was 13, her family moved to L.A. There, Joseph found something in the school lunchroom that she had never seen in Detroit.
"It was a whole new world for me," said Joseph. "I went to a junior high where the poorest of kids sat next to the wealthiest."
Fresno was the next city the family moved to before finally returning to Detroit when Joseph was 15. Spooky, a puppy from Blackie's third litter, moved with the family until Joseph's first year of college.
College life was something that Joseph had not thought of before.
"I just assumed because of my background that I would get married, have children, and live happily ever after. My boyfriend did me the biggest favor when he broke up with me," said Joseph. "I realized that if I wanted to do something with myself, I needed a college education."
She decided her junior year of high school that she would attend college. She applied to Wayne State University, a college near home that her friend would attend as well.
"College was the most exciting time in my life."
College was also a very busy time for Joseph. She was a full-time student, worked at a full-time job, and was involved in many activities on campus. Following in her father's footsteps, she became involved in activism, supporting the women's movement, racial equality and even the antiwar campaign.
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