Cameron Decker, Campus Reform

• The American Psychological Association is calling for a “systemic change in U.S. culture,” and in part, is blaming the issue on capitalism.
• Several students believe the APA should stick to psychology and not take stances against capitalism.

The American Psychological Association is in the spotlight following the publication of a statement against “systemic” racism in U.S culture.

The APA is “the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members,” according to its website.

The statement called for “true systemic change in the U.S. Culture,” blaming the issues of the U.S. partially on capitalism.

The statement, published in September, said that “the association is working to dismantle institutional racism over the long term, including within APA and psychology.” APA said it believes that battling systemic racial inequities that still exist today requires the help of psychological research, treatment, and leadership to effectuate “systemic change” against the “racism pandemic.”

The President of the Association of Black Psychologists, Dr. Theopia Jackson,  quoted in the APA statement, said, “Every institution in America is born from the blood of white supremacist ideology and capitalism—and that’s the disease.”

This disease is a “racism pandemic,” the statement says, quoting APA President Sandra Shullman, that may even be perpetuated in the field of psychology.

“APA has a long history of taking a stand on these issues, but we also know that we have our own issues as an association and as a field,” APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., Ph.D. is quoted in the publication, “We have to look at our role as a discipline in perpetuating some of the things that are being protested. That has to be a part of our commitment.”

According to the APA, it will address this issue in three ways: “By broadly communicating psychological science on bias and racism” through various forms of media, developing “actionable recommendations” for police, as well as “working to dismantle institutional racism” in the field of psychology and within the APA.

Several college students took to Twitter to express their distrust in APA’s rhetoric surrounding the issue. A student at Arizona State University, Joseph Pitts published a tweet, saying, “The American Psychological Association is peddling nonsense. It’s peculiar how a lot of the new ‘woke’ vocab is nearly supernatural. ‘Born from the blood’?”

Another ASU Student, Arjun Rondla, a second-year student studying political science, told Campus Reform that Americans shouldn’t blame capitalism as it is the only system that is proven to deliver for all. He says Americans must be proud to be where they are.

“The APA describing every institution in America as being born from white supremacy is absurd. This type of language implies that America itself is evil and should be ‘torn down’.  We should be proud of America and our capitalist, free-enterprise economy. Capitalism delivers for all Americans — including African Americans — and gives all Americans the opportunity to succeed and take initiative,” Rondla wrote in a statement to Campus Reform.

Rondla went on to say that despite his lack of experience in the field of psychology, he knows that the alternative to capitalism is much worse and that the APA should stick to the field it knows best instead of perpetuating division on ideological grounds.

“Socialism, the alternative proposed by many on the left today, has failed in every country it has been tried — and there are plenty. Socialism crushes the soul, robbing humans of the ability to grow and provide for themselves and their families. The APA should stick to psychology, rather than dividing Americans and promoting an evil ideology,” he said.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @cam_deckr

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