Throughout my career in public policy and systems change, I have seen repeatedly the importance and benefits of taking an inclusive and collaborative approach to the work at hand. When APA made a formal apology to communities of color in 2021 and declared our long-term commitment to advancing racial equity, it was a priority for our leadership that the work be informed by diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Key decisions like this position our association to have significant impact.
While it would have been easy to view the apology as the outcome, we chose to see it as a starting point for determining and addressing the critical steps needed to redress the identified issues. We deemed this work essential, not simply for the affected groups but to ensure that our entire field thrives.
Rooted in the commitments of the apology, APA’s Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP)—adopted by APA’s Council of Representatives in 2022—has provided a roadmap that strategically positions the association to address racial equity in the field of psychology and in our broader society. Rather than quickly checking off visible but not necessarily meaningful activities, the REAP allows us to pursue a path toward systemic and structural change, which is more complex, requires a long-range view, and demands sustained effort over time.
As a result, APA is better able to facilitate significant changes that will foster greater equity. At an organizational level, we are evolving our processes to create more opportunities for diversity and inclusion among elected and appointed leadership and staff. Within our field, we are increasing avenues of support for scholars of color through our Racial Equity Fund. At a societal level, we are advocating for a broad range of public policies that reduce disparities, ensure health equity, and advance population health strategies, changing systems to be more accountable and effective in meeting the needs of a diverse population. And there is so much more.
APA’s approach to racial equity is intertwined with our pursuit of population health—our commitment to use a broad range of strategies to advance everyone’s psychological health. Personally, I believe that our nation cannot achieve racial equity unless we adopt a population health perspective. This means understanding that inherent in every community is the wisdom to solve its own problems. As psychologists, we bring unique expertise, but it must be woven into and informed by the insights that only communities themselves can offer. It means adopting a strengths-based perspective, focusing on solutions that promote wellness, rather than taking a deficit-based approach that is singularly focused on “fixing what is wrong” with people. And it means focusing on improving systems—including and extending beyond health care—so that lasting change happens not only on an individual level but a societal one as well.
Reflecting on the work of the past few years, I am proud of our collective commitment and progress—what APA and our members have accomplished to advance racial equity. Through our unwavering commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, we have improved our organization, our field, and our society, and importantly, positioned ourselves for the future.
