Child Study Center Grand Rounds 06.01.2021

June 08, 2021

The Role of Psychology in Advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Dismantling Systemic Racism

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00:00Now, thanks to Laurie Cardona for
00:03training your trainees so well.
00:06The prodigal daughter comes home.
00:08Lori Cardona. It's
00:11just such an honor and such a
00:14privilege to introduce such a dear
00:17dear colleague and friend myself,
00:19Akbar, today tell you about
00:21her impressive background.
00:22Mice obtained her PhD in clinical
00:25psychology from Saint Louis University
00:27and then we were so blessed that
00:30she decided to do her predoctoral
00:33and postdoctoral training at
00:35the at the Child Study Center.
00:37Specializing in early childhood development,
00:40adversity, and.
00:41We were further fortunate that my son
00:44agreed to remain on our clinical faculty
00:47for a very long time from 2004 to date,
00:50where she has held many roles,
00:53most valuable E as a clinical supervisor,
00:56an also as a clinical instructor.
00:59All the while my son did this amazing.
01:04Forward thinking.
01:06Creation,
01:06she was the CEO or she is the CEO and
01:10founder of Integrated Wellness Group.
01:13It's a psychotherapy practice right
01:16here in New Haven specializing
01:18in treating race based trauma.
01:20And she's been doing so since 2008.
01:23While running this large
01:25child guidance clinic,
01:26she published her first book.
01:29I don't get kickbacks.
01:32And her first book is urban Trauma,
01:35a legacy of racism in which Doctor Akbar
01:39introduces the Urban Trauma framework,
01:41unpacking how people of color live in
01:44a state of crisis due to oppressive
01:47societal systems which result then,
01:50and feelings of anger,
01:51rage, and hopelessness,
01:53she has a second book called Beyond Ally,
01:56the pursuit of racial justice,
01:59in which she advances her
02:01racial justice work.
02:02Through the creation of
02:04the ally identity model,
02:06which details the stages of allyship
02:10in dismantling systemic oppression.
02:12And so if you aren't impressed,
02:15then know that Appa has been
02:18very impressed with my sock bar.
02:20That's the American
02:22Psychological Association,
02:23which has almost 200,000 members throughout
02:25the United States and this past fall she was
02:29appointed as Appa's Chief Diversity Officer,
02:32in which she is charged to infuse equity,
02:36diversity and inclusion into
02:38the fabric of Apas work.
02:41And so, as a CDO,
02:43she will also be the spokesperson
02:46and advocate for equity,
02:48equity, diversity,
02:49an inclusion nationally and internationally.
02:52One recognition is,
02:53for example,
02:54that mysa is appa's representative
02:57to the United Nations.
02:59So we are just so thrilled and
03:02so honored to have my son here
03:05to share her many talents with
03:08us today and welcome back.
03:11Myself.
03:13Thank
03:14you, Lori Andreas.
03:15Everyone that's here,
03:16my dear friends and colleagues,
03:18many who I've known for almost 20 years now.
03:23Many who have trailblazed before me.
03:25I see Doctor Comer and Doctor Brown
03:28in in these beautiful squares and I'm
03:31so happy to be here with longtime
03:33colleagues and to come to you in
03:37different positions because I've done
03:39grand rounds in the past and you know,
03:42have done that in playing different roles.
03:45So now it's a pleasure to do that,
03:49playing the role of the Chief
03:52Diversity Officer at a PA.
03:54Which is one of their accreditation
03:56bodies for the Child Study Center.
03:58So we're very deeply connected
04:00in so many different ways.
04:02I'm going to begin to the
04:04process of screen sharing,
04:06so bear with me here for one second,
04:09as I do that.
04:13And.
04:14We can, let's see.
04:20I'm trying to make sure that I see you,
04:23but I don't see you right now,
04:25so give me one second, let me just
04:28end again and see where everyone went.
04:31OK, there you are.
04:35And hopefully if I if I lose all of you,
04:38that means I'll lose the chat
04:40or any capacity to see anyone,
04:42I'll try that again.
04:44Just to make sure.
04:47Give me one second again
04:48just to screen share.
04:50We just tested this and it
04:51worked out and of course.
04:53Anne. We have
04:55a single monitor, my sorta monitor.
04:58I have two monitors that may be
04:59the issue. If you can't see it.
05:03If you can't get that,
05:04would unplug the other monitor.
05:07But anyway. And yes yes, yes.
05:12Let's see here.
05:17OK, I think it's going to do it.
05:19There we go. Now I lost you again.
05:22Well, I'm going to go ahead
05:24and just start anyway.
05:25And then you know,
05:27Andreas what I just invite
05:28you to do is to interrupt me
05:30and then that way.
05:33You know I can hold two to make sure
05:36that I can answer a question or there's
05:39a question that shows up in the chat.
05:42Sometimes that's what technology does.
05:44Yeah, you see the full screen.
05:48Yep, you do. OK fantastic OK so.
05:54We're going to have a conversation
05:56today in terms of I don't know if
05:59you all see that, my apologies.
06:03Related to the advancing of the equity,
06:06diversity and inclusion work
06:08that's being done at a PA,
06:10and then more specifically talking about the
06:13process of dismantling structural racism.
06:16One of the areas that I want to make
06:19sure that we are able to talk about is
06:22to share appa's commitment to equity,
06:25diversity, and inclusion.
06:27Appa is in a really interesting
06:29position right now to think about how
06:32to formulate the ideas around equity,
06:34diversity and inclusion both
06:36nationally and internationally,
06:37particularly as the field is changing
06:40very drastically just to give you a little
06:43bit of history in terms of the fields of.
06:46EDI or DVI, or DNI, or DNI and B,
06:50which goes for belonging this,
06:52you know.
06:53It was really something that birth
06:55out of the civil rights movement,
06:58and it was very much focused
07:00on affirmative action,
07:02and it was focused on looking at the
07:04way that corporations are conducting
07:06business with minority owned women,
07:09own veteran own LG, LGBTQ,
07:11plus own businesses,
07:13and how much of that work was being done.
07:17In terms of what's considered supplier
07:19diversity and so that was really
07:21the origin of EDI and incorporating
07:23diversity into corporate spaces,
07:25and as you know,
07:26given the evolution of that
07:28in the last 60 plus years,
07:30given what's happened this past year
07:32related to not just COVID but the
07:34racial reckoning that the way that
07:36we talk about equity and diversity
07:39and inclusion is very different.
07:41Now you know there were times
07:43where you couldn't even say things
07:45related to support white supremacy
07:47or racism in a workspace.
07:49I know that there are times in the 20
07:51year history of the Child Study Center
07:54where those words weren't necessarily
07:56an invitation to having a deep,
07:58deeper discussion where now the
08:00context of this conversation
08:01has really evolved overtime.
08:03So one of the things that I've been
08:05charged to do with is to establish
08:08what would be considered an EDI model.
08:10We put equity 1st and then we talk
08:13about diversity and inclusivity.
08:15And in the four months in a little
08:17bit of days that I've been there,
08:19when I've been able to do is
08:21complete that model, that EDI model,
08:23which I'll share some of that with you today.
08:27And then the last piece that I'd love
08:29for us to concentrate on and think
08:32about this as a beginning and not an end,
08:35is how can we incorporate some of
08:37the concepts that I'll introduce
08:38to you today into the work of
08:41the CHILD Study Center?
08:42And how can you consider embedding
08:44some of these concepts in the multiple
08:46facets by which you do the work,
08:49not just internal to the CHILD Study Center,
08:51but also in the way that you
08:53do it in the expression of the
08:55field in which we're in.
08:57And how it touches a society
09:00in the community around
09:01you. Which is very important.
09:05I also want us to think about that.
09:08In the past, EDI again,
09:09I'm going to call it the way that
09:12we do at a PA and structural racism
09:15were not a conversation that we
09:17had that were had interchangeably.
09:20Instead, they you know the way
09:22that anything related to structural
09:24racism or every aspect of racism.
09:26The four levels of racism was discussed.
09:29It was either as an adjunct or
09:31it was put in the category or
09:34the box of a social justice.
09:37Issue and that that didn't
09:39necessarily interact very well with
09:41mental health and by mental health.
09:44I'm covering both overall three psychiatry
09:47psychology and then masters level programs,
09:49including social work,
09:51LPC's marriage and family
09:52therapist and the others.
09:54And now what we're seeing is a
09:57direct connection and correlation.
09:59You almost can't talk about one
10:02without talking about the other,
10:04and so that's why I'm going to.
10:08First,
10:08talk about our approach to dismantling
10:11structural racism because the belief
10:13system really is that we can't do EDI work,
10:16we can't talk about equity.
10:18We can talk about diversity,
10:20and we certainly can't talk about
10:22inclusivity until we are beginning
10:24to have significant conversations
10:26about dismantling the structures
10:28of racism that live almost like
10:30in the walls of the organization
10:32by which we occupy space.
10:38So I'm going to talk a little bit
10:41about what was our process, you know,
10:45and this process is not clean.
10:47This process is not fast.
10:50This is a journey that has no clear ending.
10:53This is a journey that is.
10:56Can be very emotionally taxing.
10:59Can be extremely uncomfortable,
11:00but it is a necessary step
11:03in talking about this work.
11:06So for a PA,
11:07one of the foundational steps that
11:09we took was having a comprehensive
11:11look at our history and I'm going to
11:13talk in a lot more detail about that,
11:15but I'm going to give you
11:17a small overview here.
11:19We saw it very important to think
11:22about where does Appa and where to
11:27psychology have responsibility around
11:29harms that have been done to Marge,
11:33historically marginalized
11:34or minoritized communities?
11:36It was important for us to acknowledge
11:39those harms to take account of those harms,
11:43to recognize and realize that
11:46those harms don't disappear.
11:47Just because yesterday we said that equity,
11:51diversity,
11:51and inclusion were a necessary
11:54step forward for the association.
11:57I'd like to share that with
11:59you because as organizations,
12:01academic settings,
12:02medical settings such as Child Study
12:05Center are engaging in this work.
12:08It is so important for the healing
12:11process for the reconciliation
12:13process for the process of engaging
12:17authentically in this work for those
12:20past harms to be acknowledged.
12:23And for us, in terms of the history,
12:27we had a major pivotal point in the
12:301960s where black psychologists
12:33walked out of a PA.
12:36And were very clear that they felt
12:38they had no space in a PA because
12:41of the way that systemic racism
12:43was working and moving forward and
12:46affecting their capacity to engage in
12:49psychology in the fullness of who they are.
12:53And we had to evaluate and reflect
12:56on that and reflect on that how Appa
13:00created oppressive structures and
13:02how Appa for then several decades
13:05after that was very had a lot of
13:08difficulty reconciling with that passed.
13:11So we were our next steps after
13:14understanding that history was part
13:16of what's made us who we are in the
13:19100 plus years that we've been in existence.
13:22We had to start to define the problem.
13:26How do we define the problem?
13:29By creating specific definitions
13:31around the structures that exist.
13:34A lot of times we want to go
13:36right to solutions.
13:38And to imagine what those solutions
13:40are for communities of color
13:42without really understanding first
13:44how to define the problem.
13:46And so we find ourselves almost
13:49shooting darts in the dark because we
13:52haven't fully grasped or understood
13:54what the problem is to begin with.
13:57And then the next part for us
13:59in terms of foundational steps,
14:01we're thinking about how do we
14:04create systemic change?
14:05We knew we didn't want to be
14:07performative in our EDI process,
14:10and that we didn't want to be
14:12performative in our allyship so
14:15that we needed to take a deeper
14:17look and understand how to re create
14:20a system that we
14:22knew had been already foundationally
14:24constructed to focus on the
14:26idealization of white supremacy.
14:28And then what policy changes
14:30would accompany that,
14:31as we're looking at those systemic changes.
14:35And then what happened what you
14:37can expect to happen to that.
14:39We made a lot of mistakes along
14:41the way and we continue to make
14:43those mistakes we ask for grace.
14:45We ask for forgiveness,
14:47and then we immediately immediately look
14:49at areas of opportunity for us to change.
14:51Sometimes we missed the mark completely.
14:54And a lot of times what we do is
14:57that there are a lot of different
15:00initiatives that are going on which
15:02can feel chaotic and confusing and
15:05at the same time we're not looking
15:08at this from the perspective of
15:10gathering all of our energy and
15:12forces to look at ways to dismantle
15:15structural racism together.
15:17Instead,
15:17sometimes there were competing demands.
15:19There were a lot of areas that we
15:22couldn't scale because there just
15:24wasn't enough manpower for that.
15:27And we needed to really take a look at that,
15:29seriously,
15:30to think about what our next
15:32steps forward we're going to be.
15:34And then in 2018 there was
15:37a concerted effort.
15:38It was the first time in the
15:41history of a PA where there was
15:44a CEO that was positioned who
15:46was a black male and there was.
15:49There were changes in the demographics
15:52of the board and the demographics
15:54of the EPA leadership in terms of
15:57the presidents that were coming in.
16:00That gave an opportunity now
16:02not only to sort of do just a
16:06check mark related to diversity,
16:08we didn't want that.
16:09We wanted to be able to continually revisit,
16:12revise,
16:13and re imagine the way that psychology was
16:16going to be conducted within the association.
16:19An impact in the field and how the
16:21field of psychology impact society.
16:24And so then in 2021,
16:26after I was brought in to support doing this,
16:29Appa started to establish a clear,
16:32clear mission.
16:33An vision forward.
16:34I share all of this with you,
16:37not because we we've got it 100%
16:40right or because it's perfect,
16:42or because I'm changing everything.
16:43Given that I'm there,
16:45I'm sharing this with you as steps
16:47that I'm offering is opportunities
16:49for the CHILD Study Center to consider
16:52how they are engaging in their work,
16:55how you are engaging in your work
16:57around diversity, equity and inclusion.
17:02So first let's talk about.
17:05The first piece in which we
17:07needed to look at our history.
17:10Our first approach around this was
17:13to begin to uncover psychology's
17:15history in understanding the
17:17harms and in order to do that,
17:21we needed to go back to the beginning.
17:24Even during a time where perhaps it was
17:29commonplace for a PA to be implicit,
17:32complicit or explicit in the way that
17:35discrimination and discrimination,
17:36discrimination,
17:37and equities happened.
17:39We needed to be committed to uplifting
17:42the voices of those who have been harmed.
17:46And we needed to learn from our
17:48history in order to be more inclusive
17:51in the future and to create a space
17:54of equity and psychological safety.
17:57And we needed to also understand
17:59how we were going to champion EDI,
18:02not just in silos,
18:03in little pieces like those who
18:05have always championed for EDI work,
18:08or always champion for work around
18:10racial justice.
18:11But how this work was going to be
18:14infused throughout the entire organization,
18:16and that it wasn't up to the Office
18:19of Diversity and Inclusion or the
18:22officer who was established to do
18:24the diversity and inclusion work.
18:27To do this work alone,
18:29it was actually the responsibility of
18:31every single member of the association,
18:34and that it wasn't an afterthought.
18:36In fact,
18:37it was a forethought and that EDI
18:40would be supportive in making sure
18:43that all activities were focused first
18:46on EDI and then on the mission of
18:49what they were trying to accomplish.
18:55So we needed to change a few things,
18:58which was to establish that definition.
19:01First we started with the basic
19:03ideas of human rights, right?
19:06We wanted to make sure that we were
19:09grounded in our commitment to human rights,
19:12that psychologists possess human
19:14rights as a virtue of human beings
19:17as well as specific rights and
19:19essential to their profession.
19:21That psychologist and all members
19:24of the mental health community.
19:26Apply their knowledge and methods
19:28to the greater realization of human
19:30rights that psychologists respect
19:32human rights and oppose the misuse
19:35of psychological science practice
19:37application and their negative impact
19:39on human rights and that psychologists
19:41advance equal access to the benefit of
19:45psychological science and practice.
19:46Therefore,
19:47advocating for human rights.
19:49Remember before these two things in
19:51terms of human rights and the pursuit
19:54of human rights were considered.
19:57Considered a social justice initiative,
19:58a racial justice initiative,
20:00and we're not fully integrated into the
20:03idea that we cannot divide people of color.
20:05They the human rights,
20:07suffering and violations of human rights
20:09are very much related to the mental
20:11Wellness and the emotional Wellness and
20:13well being of communities of color.
20:15And I know you've learned about this
20:18because I've seen the work that's been
20:21done previously around racial trauma
20:22and some of the work that I've invited
20:25into the center around racial trauma.
20:29So first we define human rights.
20:31Then we went on to define racism.
20:33It was really important that we had
20:36a solid definition around racism.
20:38And so it you know,
20:40as you're looking at dismantling racism
20:42or being anti racist in your in your
20:45practice is very important for the
20:47center to establish and acknowledge well.
20:50How do we define racism to begin with right?
20:54And so for us,
20:55we wanted to make sure that we were
20:58looking at it beyond the interpersonal
21:00or the internalised levels of racism.
21:03A lot of times,
21:05mental health tends to focus in
21:07those two areas.
21:08And rightfully so.
21:09We look at this from a human behavior
21:12characteristics.
21:13Human change would have the baselines
21:15of people who come into the center and
21:19to come in that come into our practices.
21:22But this work really cause us to move
21:25from internalize and interpersonal
21:27ways of experiencing and combatting
21:30racism to institutional,
21:32structural and systemic ways
21:34of combating racism.
21:35And, in fact,
21:36what I say is that you cannot do diversity,
21:41equity and inclusion work unless
21:43you have tackled or are committed
21:46to tackling the institutional,
21:48systemic, structural,
21:49and systemic ways in which racism.
21:52Impacts the people that are doing
21:55this work day in and day out.
21:58And so it's important to define that we
22:00took the time to really define those areas,
22:03and we took the time to make a commitment
22:05that the way in which we're going
22:07to tackle and dismantle racism was
22:09going to be at the systemic level.
22:14The other piece that's important,
22:16around equity, diversity and inclusion,
22:18is to look at the other areas which
22:21are just as important to this work,
22:24and so we also wanted to establish
22:27definition for gender identity change
22:29efforts which we know historically
22:32has also been a space where mental
22:35health has created quite a bit
22:37of damage and harm overtime,
22:39and we also wanted to look at sexual
22:42orientation change efforts and to create.
22:45A position statement around that that
22:47we are committed as a profession
22:50to affirming into being culturally
22:52relevant in our approaches to
22:55diverse gender expressions,
22:56and that we are also committed to
23:00including those based on gender,
23:02gender identity,
23:03and sexual orientation and other differences,
23:06and to treat them with dignity and respect.
23:15So what guide is this work?
23:17How did we come up with
23:19the ideas of this work?
23:21I am very committed than any of those who
23:24know me and have known me for a long time.
23:27I'm particularly.
23:30Focused on wanting to make sure that
23:33we pay homage to those who have been
23:37committed to this work for decades,
23:40and who are often our unsung heroes
23:44whose work may or may not have
23:47been acknowledged and who are have
23:50been focused on doing changes.
23:52Engaging in changes overtime,
23:55but that in a lot of ways had
23:59not been lifted in any way.
24:02I bring this up in terms of our
24:05strategy for policy making,
24:06because this was a document that was
24:09created by the indigenous group of Psycho,
24:12an indigenous group of psychologists.
24:14And this report,
24:15which I'll be happy to share with everyone,
24:18because because it is now a public report,
24:21is called the Warriors path,
24:23and it was completed by Division 45,
24:25which is the division that focuses
24:28on diversity in psychology.
24:30And what the guidance was here is
24:32will look if you're going to really
24:35take a look at your past history,
24:37then a very important step.
24:39After looking at the past harms is
24:42to think about how you're going to
24:44make a public apology about this,
24:47and if many of you have read this,
24:49you've seen that the American Medical
24:52Association has made a public apology.
24:54The American Psychiatric Association
24:56has made a public apology.
24:58And that we really are being considerate
25:01in terms of the way that our apology
25:04will be issued out and the way that
25:07we're doing this is by going to the
25:09elders and asking the elders.
25:11Well, what makes a meaningful apology?
25:13We knew that a statement
25:15wouldn't be authentic,
25:16and it wouldn't make the impact
25:19that we wanted it to make.
25:21So what the elders in the indigenous
25:24community said to us is well,
25:25if you're going to have
25:27an apology with integrity,
25:28here's what you need to do.
25:30You need to acknowledge what was
25:32done and acknowledge that publicly.
25:34You need to acknowledge the
25:36impact that it had.
25:38And you need to identify what
25:40steps will be taken to ensure that
25:43this behavior does not continue.
25:45That third piece for us was so important
25:47and I'm hoping that as you're hearing this,
25:51you're also thinking about that.
25:53It's not enough just to
25:55acknowledge what was done.
25:56If that hasn't been done,
25:58how will you do it?
26:00It's not enough just to
26:02acknowledge the impact,
26:03how it's harm people,
26:04how people have been have felt that
26:07they didn't belong in this space
26:09or have left because there didn't.
26:12There wasn't psychological safety or
26:13couldn't thrive in terms of their careers.
26:16Or how there is a lack of diversity?
26:20But how do you ensure that this
26:22doesn't continue to happen right?
26:24And so we see this as a first step
26:26to reconciliation there today.
26:29I was reading something and
26:31a colleague of mine sent
26:32me this little saying and I thought, wow,
26:35these couple of words are so meaningful.
26:39And what the same said is.
26:41People start healing the
26:43moment that they feel heard.
26:46People start healing the
26:48moment they feel heard.
26:50So one of the things that we want
26:53to be able to do is to hear.
26:55How we've impacted folks as an association.
26:58How we have harmed them and to start
27:00to hear those the consideration.
27:03So this is not just about a
27:05historical overview of the harms,
27:07it's also about creating space for
27:10those conversations to happen and for
27:12us to be accountable for those things
27:15that have been brought up and for
27:17us to consider how not to recreate
27:19those harms over and over again.
27:27So before I move to this uncoordinated
27:30approach because that's the misstep
27:33that ends up happening, I want to
27:36tell you a little story in terms of.
27:41My process at the CHILD
27:44Study Center as a fellow.
27:47And I'm hoping that my sin sharing my story
27:51and in understanding my worldview an almost.
27:54I've gotten here pretty much
27:57like two decades later.
27:59You'll see that there are moments
28:02where you are absolutely influenced,
28:04influenced by the experiences
28:07that happen in your life.
28:10So as a fellow,
28:11I remember one day I was at Winchester,
28:15one it was my rotation,
28:17my turn to do the rotation at Winnie
28:20and I was the psychology fellow doing
28:24the assessments for those that were
28:27designated to have a psych eval.
28:30In the inpatient unit.
28:32We had a really interesting case of a
28:36young child that came in probably about
28:39anywhere between 5:00 or six years old.
28:42Maybe a wealthy family from Middle America
28:45believe it was probably like Texas.
28:48And this family had taken this child
28:51to multiple different places to try
28:54to get a diagnostic for this child.
28:56And we felt very compelled as a team.
28:59It was a strong team.
29:00We felt very compelled to make
29:02sure that we cross all our eyes.
29:04Look I'm sorry dot all our eyes
29:06cross all our T's looked at every
29:09way possible that we could understand
29:11the the diagnosis of this child.
29:13And it was time to do rounds and
29:16I believe at that time it was
29:19still Dorothy's office.
29:20But I don't remember exactly when 'cause
29:23my memory is getting a little older there,
29:26but I do remember that Andreas was in
29:29the room and Lori was in the room and
29:32there was a social worker that was
29:35on this case that was in the room.
29:38I was a fellow in the room and
29:41maybe there was another fellow.
29:44And we were having a very collegial but
29:49intense discussion about this case.
29:52And we were trying to approach this
29:55case in a lot of different ways.
29:58After the site testing an after
30:00my supervision with Lori,
30:02we felt pretty comfortable that to
30:05diagnose this child despite the age
30:07with a early onset of schizophrenia
30:10and some you know,
30:11sort of diagnosis around paranoia and etc.
30:14Again,
30:15I don't remember 100% the
30:17diagnostic formulation,
30:18but certainly you know that was
30:20a very heavy conversation to have
30:23for a child that young.
30:25And as we're having these conversations,
30:28the conversation gets a little intense.
30:30And, you know, I'm sort of a fellow.
30:33So I'm watching the other,
30:35you know,
30:36more seasoned people as they are
30:38having these discussions an as
30:40the conversation escalated,
30:42there was this moment where the social
30:46worker who happened to be a white woman.
30:49Opens or takes her bottle of water
30:53and throws the water on Lori's face.
30:58And you can imagine at that moment.
31:03Here I am a woman of color.
31:06A fellow that you know whose life
31:09had been a complete zigzag in
31:11terms of even getting to Yale.
31:15I really hadn't seen a lot of representation
31:17of me at the CHILD Study Center,
31:20so I was going to gravitate towards
31:22Laurie as one of the representations
31:25of who I can be in a person who
31:28actually had a seat at the table
31:30as another woman of color. And.
31:33There is a small man where this person,
31:38who I respected and who was
31:40my supervisor and my leader.
31:43Was diminished. When?
31:46A white woman throws a bottle
31:49of water in her face.
31:52And that was the most impressive
31:54I remember that day.
31:55Like I remember the birth of my
31:58children like I remember those
32:00huge milestones in my life.
32:03Because I thought to myself,
32:05what does this mean that this woman
32:07that has accomplished so much in
32:09her life and in her professional
32:11career is diminished at this moment,
32:13for someone to take away her
32:15dignity by doing that?
32:16And I tell you,
32:17the perfect example that she could have
32:20set for me is that with so much grace,
32:22and so much patience,
32:24she took some tissues out of her bag,
32:26cleaned up her face.
32:29And said to this woman.
32:31Something must be really
32:33happening with you right now,
32:35and perhaps we need to end this meeting.
32:39What I want to say by this story is that.
32:42I'm sure that many of us have multiple
32:45of those stories that have happened.
32:47And for me,
32:48as a woman of color as an Afro Latina,
32:50as a person that was trying to make
32:53my mark in this world I was in and
32:55trying to be a psychologist that
32:57was moving the needle forward.
32:59In terms of this work.
33:02That was one of the most
33:03demoralizing moments,
33:04and it didn't even happen to me.
33:06But it was also a very traumatic
33:08moment in my career and it set
33:10me back and it made me rethink
33:12whether I was going to be truly
33:15accepted in this kind of space.
33:17And I asked Lori's permission
33:19to tell this story,
33:20not only because of what
33:22it meant to me and how.
33:2420 years later I can still recall
33:26the details of this story,
33:28what she was wearing,
33:29how this happened,
33:30that issue that came out of her bag,
33:32but how it also positioned my
33:35pursuit to make sure that one.
33:38I was working towards dismantling
33:40systems that approach the work in
33:43this way too that I was relentless
33:45in my pursuit to make sure that this
33:48not only never happened to her again,
33:50but that it never happened to me when
33:53I was voicing my strong concerns
33:56or opinions about something my my
33:59training needed to be respected.
34:01In two and three that.
34:06That was a serious consideration
34:08in terms of my my steps forward
34:11in being in a setting that I feel
34:15that I felt wasn't.
34:16Wasn't safe for me.
34:18So I think that those are all.
34:21Pieces of the conversation that
34:23are so important for us to have.
34:25And as I move you along in
34:28this trajectory in this story,
34:29in this presentation what I want
34:31to talk about is that a lot of
34:34times we give a lot of energy to
34:36this work without being thoughtful
34:38about how we move forward and that.
34:41That is a that is a consideration
34:43of history that perhaps the CHILD
34:46Study Center needs to contend with,
34:49and many more of those incidents.
34:52In order for you all to really
34:56move forward in this DEI work
35:00with awesome authenticity.
35:02So how do we mess up along the way
35:05and how do we lean into understanding
35:08that messing up, making mistakes,
35:11recovering from those mistakes
35:12is actually part of the process.
35:15For a PA, I'll give you the example.
35:19Well,
35:19we have hotter people working
35:22on initiatives around EDI.
35:24And they were all over the place.
35:25I want to show you what it looked
35:28like for me when I first got there.
35:30There was the public interest director
35:33it I was working on all the initiatives
35:36related to eradicating racism and
35:38the human rights portfolio and how
35:40to be resilient and how to show
35:43resiliency connected to the science.
35:45There was the advocacy office
35:47that was advocating for policy
35:48changes and for additional rights
35:50at the governmental level.
35:52With the inclusion of psychological
35:54science in the thought process of
35:57the way that decision making was
35:59happening regarding laws and policies.
36:02There was the education director it
36:04that was looking at training that
36:06was looking at the student body that
36:08was looking at diversification and
36:11pathways to diversification into psychology.
36:13As you all know,
36:15in psychology under 4% of psychologists
36:18or psychologists of color.
36:204%.
36:22So we had all of these areas.
36:24Then we were looking at the science
36:27directory.
36:27How do we embrace scholars of color an?
36:30Is there something that we needed
36:32to do related to the science to be
36:35more inclusive in the way that we
36:37conduct research that we talk about
36:40research that we disseminate research?
36:41Have we been doing that or have we been
36:45engaging in exclusionary practices
36:46related to the science and publication?
36:49Then there was the practice
36:51directory in everything related to
36:53to psychotherapy and the way that we
36:56do mental health work and they were
36:58working on Medicaid compliance and
37:00they were working on other areas.
37:03Of, you know,
37:04briefing in terms of immigration
37:06policies and etc.
37:08Then there was general counsel and
37:10communications and strategic and HR
37:12work internal to the association.
37:13But I tell you guys,
37:15none of these things,
37:16and I hope this slide is
37:18absolutely overwhelming you,
37:19because that's what I meant to do.
37:22None of these things were coordinated,
37:24so we weren't moving the needle
37:27at all forward because we didn't
37:29have a coordinated strategy.
37:31So where do we go from here,
37:33right?
37:33We understand that we have to review
37:36our past.
37:36We not only have to review our past,
37:38but we have to review the harms that
37:40have been done and now and how not to
37:43continue to perpetuate those harms.
37:45We understand that sometimes
37:46we are engaging in the work,
37:47but we're not coordinated in the way that
37:49we're engaging in the work. Therefore,
37:51we're not moving the needle forward,
37:52and sometimes it actually feels like
37:54we're taking several steps back.
37:56And what are some of the
37:59possibilities of moving forward?
38:00Well, one of the ways in which I
38:03wanted to make sure that we did
38:05this related to the science and that
38:08there is an opportunity for you to
38:10do this at the CHILD Study Center,
38:12is to look at what is the real
38:15vision and mission for EDI?
38:17How do you create a common language
38:19and how do you focus on a long term
38:22strategy towards dismantling systemic
38:23inequities and for that to exist
38:25across the association and for it to
38:28make sure that it is cascaded down.
38:30Into the psychological science
38:31into the field and into society,
38:33which is the impact that we make.
38:38We had a very clear mission
38:40and vision that we developed.
38:42We want it to be accessible,
38:45equitable and inclusive.
38:46Psychology that promotes human rights,
38:48fairness and dignity for all.
38:50That's our vision.
38:51And these diversity statements,
38:53by the way, are so important for you
38:55to anchor the diversity statement,
38:58because anytime that you need to be
39:00accountable to the work that you're doing,
39:03you can reference that diversity
39:04statement and our mission was to
39:06advance EDI through psychological
39:08shock Science that champions thought,
39:10leadership, innovation and excellence.
39:14And the way that this was created
39:16was using a model that was adopted
39:18through Darrell sues ecological
39:20model of conceptual framework of that
39:23incorporated some multidimensional facets
39:25of cultural competence in psychology.
39:27And so we looked at sues model.
39:30And we thought, well,
39:31let's really think about what is it
39:34that we need to do as a science to
39:37highlight the way that we want to
39:40structurally change the association
39:42and the work that we're doing.
39:45We adopted it to look at the several
39:48pieces that are interlocking in the
39:50way that psychology is, you know,
39:53we conduct our work and we wanted
39:55to make sure that it was embedded
39:59in these core domains.
40:00Access and equity,
40:01cultural and emotional intelligence,
40:03psychological safety and
40:05inclusive policies and practices.
40:07We defined everything that we
40:09did based on these core domains.
40:12And the most important part is to
40:15create accountability along the way.
40:16It's important that not only
40:18you save the statements,
40:19not only do you create these models,
40:22but what are going to be the accountable
40:24metrics that are put in place that
40:27juxtapose these types of models that
40:29are created in order to create an
40:31equitable and inclusive environment?
40:33One of the ways in which we're going to
40:36do that I won't talk about that today,
40:39but one of the ways in which we're going
40:41to do that is to create a road map.
40:44The road map is intended to
40:46be iterative in nature,
40:47but it will be the place where
40:49we set our goals,
40:50where we put the accountability
40:52measures in place and where we
40:54measure our success based on the
40:55metrics that have been defined.
40:57So, for example,
40:58if you haven't done in EDI or well,
41:00sometimes it's called an equity
41:02needs assessment. That's important.
41:03It's important for you to understand
41:05your baseline.
41:05And where you started,
41:07that's an area that we've looked at and
41:09now we have a position to be able to say.
41:11Here's where we are,
41:12and here are the multiple steps that
41:14need to be taken based on our mission
41:16and vision of where we want to go.
41:21So what are some of those guiding principles?
41:23What are we trying to do then?
41:25What will be we be accountable to?
41:28The first one that we're looking at
41:30is how do we decolonize psychology?
41:33See, it's important to understand
41:35that while we can be very well
41:37intentioned in our pursuit for equity,
41:40diversity, inclusion,
41:41the colonization of a particular space
41:44in which you know a lot of us occupy.
41:48The IT is inherent in the
41:50way that we do the work,
41:53and so we can't just apply something
41:55on top of what's already in the DNA of
41:59the organizations by which we're in.
42:01We have to deconstruct it and decolonize
42:05it and create new systems by which
42:08we do the work in order for us to
42:12see the full capacity of EDI work.
42:14We need to make sure that there are,
42:18you know,
42:18advocates in learning institutions
42:20such as yours with pedagogy that is
42:23anchored in talking about racism
42:25and health disparities,
42:26but also in ways that we're going
42:29to dismantle that not just in
42:32what causes the impact, right?
42:34I've been doing a lot of talks about this.
42:38I am no longer in the business
42:41of talking about all the laundry
42:43list of disparities that exist
42:45because of criminalization,
42:47because of poor police practices.
42:49Or, you know,
42:50discriminative police practices,
42:52or,
42:52you know the inequities in our
42:54healthcare system or poverty or the
42:57extensive ways in which racism has
42:59been embedded in our laws and our
43:02policies and government and etc.
43:05It always when I have these discussions.
43:10What ends up happening is that I
43:12exclude the responsibility of what
43:14created these systems to begin with,
43:17which is why I decided to publish
43:20the allyship book.
43:21There needs to be a responsible way
43:23of talking about white supremacy
43:25and talking about the systems that
43:28created this that led to them the
43:31disparities that we're seeing and
43:32without connecting those two things
43:34then we're really not talking
43:36about EDI anymore.
43:40Oh, and then this last statement here,
43:43moving from the individual and
43:44interpersonal level of racism,
43:46which is where a lot of people start and end.
43:49An and moving forward towards the systems and
43:51the structures that need to be dismantled.
43:54So before open it up for conversation.
43:56We have about 12 minutes left.
43:58Here are some questions
43:59that I want us to consider.
44:01What are your current EDI efforts?
44:04And based on those EDI efforts,
44:06what results are you looking for in
44:09order for you to have meaningful impact
44:12not only in the staff of the center but
44:15in the population that you also serve?
44:18Are you using any EDI
44:20principles to do your work,
44:22or is it more conceptual
44:23or more process oriented?
44:25How are you lining this up to know that
44:27you're actually moving the needle forward?
44:30If so, how are you doing it,
44:32and if not,
44:33what is a potential path forward in terms
44:35of incorporating some of the principles
44:38that I've shared with you today,
44:40and again,
44:40I can also share with you the EDI
44:43framework which is now public.
44:46And what supports are needed in
44:47order to prepare the fellows,
44:49the residents and the faculty to
44:51meet the mental health needs of
44:53children and families from diverse
44:54backgrounds and experiences?
44:55Now we can talk a little bit about
44:58this today or I can answer some of
45:01your questions that you may have,
45:03but I would also encourage you to
45:05take a quick picture of this slide.
45:07And when you're having your own
45:09huddle with your own team,
45:11how can you unpack some of these
45:13questions to think about what will
45:15be my role in adding to the larger?
45:17An initiative of diversity,
45:19equity and inclusion at the center.
45:23So I'm going to stop there and then
45:25open it up for some questions.
45:34Thank you so much. My son and I.
45:37I know that there are many
45:38questions I have many in my mind,
45:40but let's go around and. Away.
45:48Hi, I'm actually not a member
45:51of your community here because
45:54I'm interested in the topic and.
45:572nd. I work in a public school.
46:01As you can tell, and my question is.
46:05We discussed that.
46:08This process, an engaging in
46:11dismantling these systems,
46:12goes beyond the.
46:14Interpersonal dynamic and changes shift
46:17the conversation into a systematic dynamic.
46:20We're right at the beginning of this
46:23process in the district that I work,
46:26and I work in a small town in New
46:30England and by and large there's
46:33such a resistance to this work,
46:36even on an interpersonal level that
46:39I can't even imagine how we can shift
46:43the conversation from interpersonal.
46:46To systemic because people won't
46:48even admit that there's a problem.
46:52Yeah, you know that that's
46:54such an interesting question,
46:55and I and I get that quite a bit because
46:58you know that there are those barriers.
47:01I mean, I think that there is still a
47:04significant level of of uncomfortable
47:06ITI just saying the word racism
47:08and talking about racism, right?
47:10And forget about words like
47:12white supremacy, right?
47:15Acknowledgement of what that means,
47:17right? And so.
47:18But here's the thing right that I always
47:20think about when I'm answering this question.
47:23Is the chicken egg,
47:25you know dilemma?
47:27So if if we don't think about
47:29this from a systemic perspective,
47:31do we expect that there there are going
47:34to be changes at the interpersonal level
47:38or the internalized level of racism?
47:41And you know.
47:42And so we have to sort of think about.
47:45I think that the answer is going
47:47to be different for each for
47:49each system in which we occupy.
47:51But we do have to consider that if
47:53we leave it at the interpersonal
47:56and the internalised.
47:57We may not move much further
48:00than just having discussions.
48:02And trainings on micro aggression
48:04and implicit bias and right and
48:06you're on the hamster wheel and
48:08and then you have to get this one
48:11to buy in and that one to buy in.
48:13And then there are hundreds of people
48:16in systems to buy in that the work
48:18then never really moves where my argument is.
48:21Well if we start to look at
48:24the policies that are in place.
48:26So for example if you lack severe
48:28diversity in terms of your leadership,
48:30your board,
48:31your you know.
48:32The decision makers what needs to
48:34be done for us to think about how
48:37to apply that level of diversity
48:39at all of those levels of system
48:41and not just diversity.
48:43For the purposes of diversity,
48:44but diversity that is meaningful
48:46rather than performative, right?
48:47We don't want people to be tokenized.
48:50We want people to have a voice around
48:52the table and to be able to engage
48:55in systemic change because they are
48:57able to see where those gaps lie,
48:59and to give them a voice to be
49:02able to do that right.
49:04Because if you have diversity
49:06and then I'm shut down.
49:08Right if I'm if I'm brought into
49:09AP and they're like, go ahead CDO.
49:11You do what you need to do right?
49:13And then it's like, yeah,
49:15but we're not giving you any resources.
49:17You never get any time with the board.
49:19No, we're not going to change anything then.
49:21What's really the point of me
49:22having that position,
49:23which is why you see that most
49:25CEO's only last six months.
49:27Six months a 700% increase in
49:29this industry of naming a lot
49:32of chief diversity officers with
49:34a lifespan of six months.
49:36Can you believe that?
49:39Because they don't get the resources,
49:41it's all tokenism.
49:42We have to understand the difference
49:44between those. Which is why I am
49:46sort of saying in this space.
49:48Let's target the system.
49:49The institution.
49:50Let's put energy towards that.
49:52Because if you are an ambassador for
49:54that change, I rather that you execute
49:56that energy in looking at the system,
49:59then trying to convince me otherwise
50:01that I should talk about whatever it
50:03is that you need me to talk about,
50:06right like? Where is the power lie?
50:10That's what I would say.
50:12Look at where the power is.
50:14Thank you my so we have a couple
50:16of questions and cake Keisha.
50:18Thank you so much and I
50:20love your Cascadia flag.
50:21You know my son he's got a power so I see
50:25some other key scale representing
50:26from myself and my students.
50:29Sis, I'm sorry. Before Celia we
50:31had rob Rob you wanted to say
50:34something. And then, Belinda.
50:36First of all, thank you so much for
50:39what you're doing. God bless you.
50:42I wanted to return back to the
50:44definition of racism back in the 1990s.
50:47A lot of scholars made a distinction
50:50between prejudice and racism,
50:52and the difference is that racism has
50:55an underlying power structure to it.
50:57So basically, people of color
50:59can't be racist because they
51:01lack the power to do anything.
51:03They could be prejudice, but not racist.
51:06What are your views on that?
51:09I agree with that.
51:11I think that we do have to continue
51:13to make that distinction.
51:15That's why I talk about the
51:17difference between internalised
51:19racism and interpersonal racism,
51:20and internalized racism
51:21can be the way that I, you
51:24know, that the the way that I
51:26have adopted the doctrine of white
51:29supremacy and white superiority,
51:30and therefore I enact that.
51:32And even though I'm a person of color right
51:35there are, there are ways
51:37in which that happens.
51:39The difference is that if I
51:41don't have the power to change
51:43anything right or to oppress other
51:45people or communities of people,
51:47then it's very hard to legitimize that.
51:49Then I'm enacting racism rather
51:51than things like prejudice or bias.
51:53You know, or other forms in
51:55which this you know can be done.
51:58I can even technically,
51:59if I'm a person of
52:01color, and I have a little bit of,
52:04let's say I'm a supervisor,
52:06so I have a little bit of power, right?
52:09I can engage in oppressive systems,
52:11but the actual definition of racism
52:13it's very difficult to support
52:15that when you are a person of color
52:18because of the lack of power that
52:21exists specially in this country.
52:23But when you
52:24look at it from a globalized perspective,
52:26it doesn't change very much either.
52:29And I will actually give you the
52:31definition of racism that we adopted
52:33in the author by which we adopted it.
52:35I mean, it. We we took months to figure
52:38out which one we wanted to adopt,
52:40so perhaps it can be something that
52:42you can reference or or have others
52:44reference in terms of the definition.
52:46I'm not saying it's the best one,
52:48but I'm saying it's the one that
52:50we chose as our guiding principle.
52:52And I'll send that to Lori
52:54and Andreas as well.
52:56Terrific, thank you so much.
52:57Thanks for that question.
52:59Belinda you were next and this is Celia.
53:02Awesome presentation,
53:03my eyes are a couple of things.
53:05Is have you all come up with
53:07because I mentioned in the chat
53:09the moment that we feel heard
53:11the narrative will change but
53:13after being heard there also
53:14has to be that change an I
53:17realized a few months ago after going
53:19back to school the policies have to
53:21change so the question becomes have
53:23you all started some sort of bridge?
53:26How do we change the policy is in the system?
53:30Because there's various, it's
53:31not. It's not
53:32just, say Yale University,
53:33but it's from
53:34the top, bottom. And of course,
53:36there's going to be reaction against that
53:38because people. There's
53:39certain people that don't want
53:40things to change because
53:41they're holding the power.
53:43So how do we make that first step?
53:45Let's say even within
53:46the CHILD Study Center and myself before,
53:49before you answer, let me just
53:50say we have a queue of questions,
53:53which is wonderful.
53:53So we're going to keep on going.
53:56I see that we have Cecilia. And then Jose,
53:58and then Sophia and doctor Comer.
54:00I really want you to have the last
54:02word because you're you're the guy.
54:04So so whatever happens,
54:05we want you to have the last word,
54:08but my so back to you. Yeah,
54:11I, I think that really
54:13what you're talking about is that
54:15performative piece that I mentioned
54:17Belinda, and that we can't claim it
54:20by name and not do it by action,
54:22right? And, and so it is. It is up to us
54:26to be able to stay.
54:29If the university if the medical
54:32school if the Child Study Center
54:35has made it clear, statement
54:37that. Anti racism work.
54:39Racial justice, work diversity,
54:41equity and inclusion is important.
54:42Then we can do the same thing
54:44except expect a different outcome
54:46because what are we defining?
54:49All you can put that in the chat right?
54:52So we that is part of the accountability
54:54with the other thing that I
54:57recommended is that you know those
54:59that are engaged in this work here.
55:01Do think about what a road
55:04map will look like.
55:05We don't want this to be a nebulous thing.
55:08Like yeah, we should do equity
55:10stuff that sounds really important.
55:12And then we do a series of talks and we
55:15do a series of you know Community work,
55:18but there are no actionable steps
55:20in terms of changing policy.
55:22So what can groups who are engaged in
55:24this work do to hold the the decision
55:27makers around policy accountable
55:29to what needs to be done in order
55:31to change those things right?
55:32And I don't know what those things
55:35are 'cause I don't have intimacy.
55:37I can give you a very quick example
55:39of something that we did for us,
55:41the decision-making body,
55:43and what creates positionality.
55:44For a PA is our council members.
55:46Our Council has to agree an vote by
55:49majority rule that we are going to
55:52pursue a certain way of doing the work.
55:54So what do we do in February?
55:57Council a resolution around the definition
55:59of racism was positioned in front of Council.
56:03And it was passed minus one vote.
56:06Well gosh,
56:07who was at Long Ranger.
56:09That didn't pass the racism resolution right?
56:12But here's what it did.
56:13Passing that now.
56:14Change the policy in which the way that
56:17we define racism and what we can pursue
56:20later for dismantling structural racism.
56:23And that now AP can make a bold
56:26statement that that is our commitment.
56:28Psychology's contribution to
56:30dismantling structural racism.
56:31So it's a systemic and systematic approach,
56:34but we knew that we couldn't jump
56:36forward without getting councils policy,
56:37making body to make those types
56:39of decisions so that you have to
56:42sort of understand who makes those
56:44decisions in the medical school.
56:45In the university,
56:46at the Child Study Center,
56:48and then that's how you position
56:50the path forward.
56:53Thank you my son Cecilia.
56:57And I saw it
56:59is such a pleasure such a pleasure to
57:02have you here. And thank you so much.
57:05I learned so much from you every
57:08time that you speak,
57:09and I so appreciate this conversation.
57:12My question has to do with healing.
57:14You mentioned that and apologizing,
57:16and you know you've been here
57:20at the CHILD Study Center, and
57:21I thank you
57:22for sharing your intimate story.
57:24And you know, as as as you know.
57:27Large donors,
57:28one of my mentors, so it really.
57:31You know it really touched me very deeply.
57:36And I'm sorry that that happened.
57:39And dumb. I guess my question has
57:42to do with healing, how do you?
57:45How do you help a community like this
57:47at the CHILD Study Center heal period?
57:50Where do you start?
57:52Well, you know what I can say to you and why.
57:56I positioned the conversation the way
57:57that I did is I was sort of creating
58:00this presentation for the CHILD Study
58:02Center is to perhaps even role model
58:04what we've decided to do right,
58:06and what we've decided to do
58:08is to contend with our past.
58:10We couldn't move forward without doing that.
58:13You have to look at the harms
58:15that you've done.
58:16You know I see it like the cycle of violence.
58:20To me, that's like an abuser, you know,
58:23engaging in physical and physical
58:24assault towards an intimate partner and
58:27then saying you know what it's over.
58:29Let's just continue now and I'm I'm
58:32recharged and I'm changed an I won't
58:35abuse you ever again and we're all good.
58:38Would that make sense as a way
58:41to move forward?
58:42Would we as practitioners as people that
58:44are responsible for guiding both victims
58:47and sometimes perpetrators in this work,
58:49ever advise someone to just get over it,
58:52or just to move on?
58:55No, we would never do that.
58:57We have more sensibility,
58:58more compassion,
58:59more thought about this work.
59:00We have empathy.
59:01And because of that,
59:02that is why we were so well positioned
59:05to be able to look at our history
59:07and to be able to move forward in a
59:10way where we do engage in authentic
59:12apologies about what we've done.
59:13Even if we weren't the ones who did it.
59:16But now we represent.
59:18The Ancestoral part of who did.
59:22It is our responsibility to do that,
59:25and I would say that these kinds
59:27of apologies are essential for the
59:30healing process and reconciliation
59:32will never come until that is done.
59:36Thank you my son.
59:37I suspect we could go on for a long time,
59:40but we have to stay in Sofia and then
59:42doctor Comer and then if anyone wants
59:44to stay after that would be fine.
59:46Jose Sofia please.
59:49Thank you so much for helping Schiano here.
59:55Get the word out.
59:58So wonderful presentation and I have
01:00:00a question and primarily this is about
01:00:02making the changes at a systems level.
01:00:04I know systems have many parts
01:00:06gears that make the system go an
01:00:08if we see a problem with specific.
01:00:11Part of the system, you know what is,
01:00:13you know your view and how would
01:00:15you think is the best way to kind
01:00:18of escalate that to the leadership.
01:00:20You know, the way I'm thinking about
01:00:22is like fear of retribution or or,
01:00:24you know, becoming the person with
01:00:26the scarlet letter, you know.
01:00:27So what would be the best way?
01:00:30Or you know some recommendation about
01:00:31the best way to escalate that would be.
01:00:35Yeah, I mean, you're absolutely right.
01:00:38I wish I can somehow tell you
01:00:41that that doesn't happen,
01:00:43and even for, you know.
01:00:46Organizations that have been very
01:00:49vocal in their EDI work that
01:00:51retribution or punishment in some
01:00:54way or another still doesn't happen.
01:00:57I can't guarantee that that won't happen,
01:01:00but what I do know is that
01:01:03there is power in numbers.
01:01:06The more that we can bring a collective
01:01:09together to position a substantive
01:01:11argument around the way that things
01:01:14are have been traditionally done.
01:01:17In the way that things need to change
01:01:20that there is less of a risk for one
01:01:24individualized person to be singled out.
01:01:27There and then there are voices,
01:01:29collective voices that are elevated.
01:01:31So I absolutely believe in the collective.
01:01:34I think that when we look at even what's
01:01:37happening at the societal level and
01:01:39let's take a look at the passing of,
01:01:42you know, the Asian,
01:01:44the hate crime that happened as a
01:01:46result of Asian anti Asian American,
01:01:49you know sentiment.
01:01:50Those are things that needed to
01:01:52happen because the collective decided
01:01:55to come together when we look at,
01:01:57you know,
01:01:58the death of George Floyd and
01:02:00what what the Black Lives Matter
01:02:02movement did and what we did not just
01:02:06nationally but globally to change
01:02:08the perspective of anti blackness.
01:02:10It was a collective.
01:02:11It was a collective movement towards
01:02:14change and I think that there's a way
01:02:17to engage in productive advocacy that
01:02:19allows to hold systems accountable.
01:02:22And So what I would say to that
01:02:24is who else is like minded?
01:02:26Who else is feeling what you're feeling?
01:02:29Who else is thinking what
01:02:30you're thinking after this?
01:02:32This talk?
01:02:32How can systemic change happened and
01:02:34how does a collective champion together?
01:02:36What areas are opportunities right
01:02:38now for change?
01:02:41Thank you Howard has been
01:02:43really raising his hand,
01:02:44so Howard, we're going to let
01:02:46you go in and then doctor comma.
01:02:49You're going to close this out.
01:02:51We could go on forever and let
01:02:53me just say thank you. Thank you.
01:02:56Thank you. My cell you make us proud Howard.
01:02:59Thank you I I've had the pleasure of teaching
01:03:02several years with my certain Cecilia and
01:03:05it was a wonderful pleasure to teach a
01:03:07course in my side of the family therapy.
01:03:10But and cultural diversity were
01:03:12talking about. Racial equality yet,
01:03:14and I I think that the struggle that one sing
01:03:19it strikes me and his troubles me is that.
01:03:24Not only that, there's two areas,
01:03:26one is healing it to
01:03:28address what Cecilia said.
01:03:30I see comes from communicates of intimacy.
01:03:34And the connection with each other that
01:03:36we need to take time to raise each
01:03:39other's consciousness and to talk about
01:03:41our own experiences in his painful away.
01:03:44As I thought,
01:03:45I found that story very painful
01:03:47to hear and I am sorry you had to
01:03:50go through that Lori.
01:03:52And but it's not only you,
01:03:54its that it's bringing it to this
01:03:57community I think is very helpful because
01:03:59we see our vulnerability and what we
01:04:02need to do is to recognize the value
01:04:04of our own connection with each other.
01:04:07And that, I think,
01:04:08has to be systemically done with talking.
01:04:11They used to call it in the 60s.
01:04:14It was teachings and it was it.
01:04:16This there was spontaneous.
01:04:17But I think we can do it with organization.
01:04:21The second thing is that when
01:04:23we talk about power,
01:04:24power is what I think psychologists
01:04:26and other mental health.
01:04:28You know,
01:04:28just know people.
01:04:29I don't seek where we really that
01:04:32knowledgeable about power as much as we
01:04:35talk about and now notice it that power is.
01:04:38It is a is a a tremendous.
01:04:44It is.
01:04:45It is a tremendous importance and
01:04:47I I think we have to struggle with
01:04:51it because like how does a PA?
01:04:54How does Child study center?
01:04:56How do organized entities really
01:04:58influence Congress and influence the
01:05:00Senate and influence the misguided
01:05:02forces that are going on today
01:05:05with people they know about the Q.
01:05:07Anon knows about power and and they
01:05:10they know how to try to coerce.
01:05:13And we want to.
01:05:14Act in a way where we're not coercive.
01:05:18When we were not dealing dirty but to
01:05:21really exercise power and and and to
01:05:24to enable people to really see the
01:05:26importance of equality is something
01:05:29that I think institutionally we have
01:05:31to struggle with to be political.
01:05:33And that's something that I I
01:05:36I have thought about a lot.
01:05:38So at the meeting.
01:05:42Yeah, I just finished with
01:05:43that that I wanna say that.
01:05:46Thank you Howard.
01:05:49I think we're going to go to our
01:05:51elder statesman and our leader
01:05:53in so many things. Jim send us off.
01:05:56Thank you, thank you my so that
01:06:00was a wonderful presentation.
01:06:03And I found myself at the same spot.
01:06:08Struggling with the same issue.
01:06:12Oh you know? I am now 86 years old.
01:06:22I have been through.
01:06:26Starting out as a young. Stir.
01:06:31Wanting to a poor kid wanting
01:06:34to live the American dream and
01:06:36believing that that's that,
01:06:38was the goal of goals.
01:06:41Anne, that it was a simple matter of.
01:06:45Fighting hard, working hard and you
01:06:48could achieve it only to discover that
01:06:51it was more complicated than that,
01:06:54and that there was this history.
01:06:58And that there was power.
01:07:00And Howard's last point about power.
01:07:03Is the one I want to agree that we
01:07:06need to struggle with and figure
01:07:09out because as I look at history
01:07:12seems to me that that's what
01:07:15the people who established the
01:07:17traditions were really all about.
01:07:19They were trying to establish
01:07:22power for themselves and that
01:07:25much of what they came up with.
01:07:27To take the power away from others was
01:07:30to establish power for themselves,
01:07:32and that what you're proposing and
01:07:35pointing out that we need to do,
01:07:38I agree very much.
01:07:39With and and that is to understand
01:07:42it and to understand the process
01:07:45through which it was established
01:07:48and the process through which you
01:07:51take it apart and re establish.
01:07:55A structure and structures that
01:07:59function for most of the people
01:08:03most of the time and that.
01:08:06The intent?
01:08:09Historically and traditionally was not.
01:08:11Most of the people, most of the time it
01:08:15was me and my little group, my oligarchy.
01:08:21And.
01:08:23That is what we're really up against,
01:08:26so that's why I like your idea of really
01:08:29trying to understand it and understand.
01:08:33How you?
01:08:34Disconnected,
01:08:35but they recognize it as very tricky
01:08:42and very difficult because you know.
01:08:47My father used to have the.
01:08:51Song about watch the curve
01:08:53that fills the tunnel.
01:08:55An I never understood it and I
01:08:58probably still have it wrong.
01:09:01But the point of the song was if
01:09:04you go through the tunnel too fast.
01:09:08Without being careful enough to
01:09:10understand what the load the
01:09:12tunnel can bear and how fast you
01:09:14can go and the the the soil and
01:09:17the weight and all of those things
01:09:19you have to take into account.
01:09:23In other words, a careful.
01:09:26Well plan process of making this change.
01:09:30I happen to believe we're
01:09:32in a very dangerous time.
01:09:34And at if you don't do it well.
01:09:38It may not be done at all, ever.
01:09:42We could self destruct.
01:09:44In the years around and the
01:09:49issues around resolving.
01:09:52Problems of racism which.
01:09:54As after your fight it is much
01:09:57more complicated than racism.
01:10:01Absolutely. I mean,
01:10:02I think the hardest thing to
01:10:04do is to share power, right?
01:10:06Well, what does that?
01:10:07Can you imagine?
01:10:08What does that mean to the
01:10:10psyche of those that have
01:10:12been absolutely, absolutely?
01:10:13And I am anan? How do we help them?
01:10:17Those who must share power.
01:10:19How do we help them come to understand
01:10:23that it's OK? And if you can.
01:10:25And I will and it will all be better.
01:10:29That's right, and like people
01:10:30say that it's not a pie.
01:10:32Yeah, getting power doesn't mean
01:10:34that I'm taking away from, yeah,
01:10:36right, right, right, right,
01:10:37writing diversity into the conversation.
01:10:40Yeah, I, I think that doctor
01:10:42Colmery as you as usual,
01:10:44you're bringing up an extremely thoughtful,
01:10:46you know, Anne Anne Howard thoughtful
01:10:48conversation that perhaps is the
01:10:50next conversation for this group.
01:10:52You know, how do you share power?
01:10:54How do we begin that process
01:10:57of sharing power?
01:10:59And what does that look like?
01:11:01You reminded me of a story early
01:11:04in our school program when I
01:11:06was sitting with the principle.
01:11:09Ann talking about how about sharing
01:11:11power and he had a meeting and
01:11:14things went much better and he
01:11:16turned to me said, you know? You're
01:11:20right, the more I shared
01:11:23power with the group, the more I got done,
01:11:28and it's that realization in practice that.
01:11:32I think makes it different than that.
01:11:34We have to figure out how to do.
01:11:37Absolutely. I completely agree.
01:11:38I Andreas. I want to hand it back
01:11:40over to you with and leave the
01:11:42group with those words of wisdom.
01:11:44I don't know that I can
01:11:47add anymore into that.
01:11:49Thank you Doctor Komer,
01:11:50another iconic figure for me and
01:11:52the way you've influenced my life
01:11:54and my career and my profession.
01:11:56And thank you for making way for
01:11:58all of us that have come. You know,
01:12:01after you I do not take that for granted,
01:12:04an I think that we have to continually
01:12:07pay homage to you in your work.
01:12:09And I know that it wasn't easy, but I,
01:12:12but please know that your legacy
01:12:15will always live on in our spirit,
01:12:17in the way that we're doing in.
01:12:19The work and the way that we're
01:12:21changing the world because of
01:12:23what you've begun. Well, thank you and
01:12:25my reward is that you're here today.
01:12:29Amen to doctors, Akbar and Comer.
01:12:32There's nothing more to say.
01:12:34See you next week.