Photos: American Psychological Association
WASHINGTON — The American Psychological Association has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling systemic racism and achieving racial equity through the launch of a Racial Equity Fund, seeding it with an investment of $1.1 million.
The fund is a long-term commitment that emerged from APA’s apology to people of color for its role in promoting, perpetuating and failing to challenge racism, racial discrimination and human hierarchy in the United States. The fund will support research and initiatives that strategically align with the goals outlined in the association’s Racial Equity Action Plan, which outlines the steps that APA and the field should take to prioritize and operationalize the commitments made in the apology.
“The fund is a reflection of the association’s sustained commitment to promoting racial equity within psychology, as well as the broader society,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. “Specifically, the fund will use psychological science and expertise to address long-term systemic and structural barriers that lead to inequities in health, knowledge production, workforce, and education.”
“The Racial Equity Fund will live in perpetuity and, through the grant-making process will support the work of those who are focused on truly advancing racial equity,” said Maysa Akbar, PhD, APA’s chief of psychology in the public interest and chief diversity officer. “Overall, the fund’s mission and broader strategic goals reflect a deep commitment to reconciliation and repair, while promoting social justice and working to create a more equitable society.”
APA has partnered with the Tides Foundation, a nonprofit and philanthropic organization committed to advancing social justice, which will administer and house the fund, building the fund’s endowment to ensure there is sufficient capital to sustain the work. The American Psychological Foundation will play a key role distributing fellowships, grants and awards to qualified individuals and organizations that can advance the goals of the fund, while overseeing the grantee projects. APF has a strong track record of providing similar funding in collaborating with APA.
“We are honored to work in partnership with the American Psychological Association to provide essential resources to individuals and organizations committed to dismantling structural and institutional racism,” said Peter Martin, executive director of Tides Foundation. “The Racial Equity Fund strongly aligns with our mission to shift power back to communities that have been historically marginalized from social, political and economic opportunities and to build a more equitable future with partners that share our vision.”
“The American Psychological Foundation is proud to partner with APA and the Tides Foundation, demonstrating our collective commitment to ending systemic racism and fostering racial equity,” said APF CEO Michelle Ryder, PhD. “Through sponsorship of grantee initiatives and ideas with demonstrated impact and the development of new programs and initiatives, we will work together to meet this critical need for as long as it takes to bring equity and justice to our society.”
About Tides
Tides is a nonprofit and philanthropic organization committed to advancing social justice. It works across the social sector to shift power to communities of color and other groups historically denied power.
Centering equity and justice in everything it does, Tides collaborates in deep partnership with movement leaders, nonprofits, donors, foundations and corporations to amplify the impact of their work by providing services like fiscal sponsorship, donor advised funds, grant making, and a variety of innovative solutions.
About APF
A grant-making foundation, the American Psychological Foundation offers funding opportunities for psychologists and students using psychology to address major issues and improve lives.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes over 146,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.
