The call-for-comments for the DRAFT APA Racism Apology Resolution is now open. The American Psychological Association (APA) Council of Representatives, boards and committees, divisions, affiliated psychological associations, and SPTAs are invited to review and provide comments.
The comment period will be open for 14 days. Comments will be accepted through 11:59pm Eastern on September 6, 2021.
This proposed resolution represents a significant milestone in APA’s commitment and promise that the Council of Representatives made in February 2021 to examine the role that the field of psychology and the association itself have played in creating and sustaining racial inequity. This examination includes a focus on how psychology has contributed to belief in human hierarchy that has harmed people and communities of color.
The proposed apology is based on the APA commissioned historical chronology that was conducted by the Cummings Center on the History of Psychology at the University of Akron, a series of listening sessions to capture oral history, and a public survey that APA has spearheaded in the last many weeks. The proposal includes a broad-based apology to communities of color and contemplates a series of additional efforts to identify group-specific action steps that can be undertaken to ameliorate or otherwise address harms to communities of color. The current plan is to present both items to Council in October 2021, with a Council vote on receiving the historical chronology and a Council vote on adopting the Racism Apology Resolution.
The DRAFT APA Racism Apology Resolution and instructions on providing comments can be accessed on the online comment portal.
I encourage you to participate in this process. Your input on the draft resolution is important to advance our association’s efforts and continued work to eradicate racism through APA’s equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts.
