The past year has been unexpected and unpredictable. Navigating the challenges of COVID-19 shifted how many of us worked from home and supported the needs of children and families. Furthermore, 2020 sparked an uprising in awareness across the globe with respect to racial injustice. Despite these challenges, I have been overwhelmed with pride and hope for our future. Our Board of Directors made significant strides this year speaking out against racial inequity and leveraging technology to continue advancing our mission. (Please view our minutes from the August meeting for more updates.)
During this summer, I released a statement on behalf of the board “Speaking Out Against Police Brutality and a History of Oppression Around the Globe.” As a division, we believe that “Black Lives Matter” and have continued to support efforts to address systemic injustice at the local and national level. As noted in our mission, we are committed to the application of psychological knowledge to advocacy, social justice, service delivery, and public policies affecting children, youth, and families in a diverse and inclusive society. That being said, we have tackled the uncertainty of this year by shifting meetings, presentations, and events to virtual spaces. You can visit our website to learn more about the work of the new Diverse Racial, Ethnic, and Multicultural (DREAM) Special Interest Group and our Section on Child Maltreatment. Please also stay connected on social media, Division37of APAopens in new window!
As my year as president comes to an end, I want to express gratitude to the board, members of the division, and our partners that have worked with us to further the mission of Div. 37. I especially want to extend a warm “thank you” to my tribe and task force members for their facilitation of numerous events this year centered around my presidential theme "Advancing Social and Emotional Development Among Black Boys Through Research, Advocacy, and Community Engagement.” The Task Force members included: Scott Graves, PhD (chair), Robert Fields, MA, Amber Hewitt, PhD, Shawn C.T. Jones, PhD, Thomas Vance, PhD, and Daphne C. Watkins, PhD. Because of their outstanding contributions, we were able to produce amazing content featuring top experts in the field.
I also want to thank the outgoing members of the board for their dedication to children and families. You will be missed, but I know that you will continue doing great work in other areas. Many of you have served in numerous roles on the board and your contributions have paved the way for the division to be successful. I want to also personally thank Thomas Gross, PhD, for his leadership in his role as APA convention program chair. This year was particularly challenging, and convention programming for the division could not have been accomplished without his efforts. We are extremely grateful for his willingness to serve a second year as the 2021 convention program chair.
Lastly, I am grateful for you as division members for electing me to serve in the role of president. You trusted me to lead this division, and it has been a great joy to work with incredible people to advance our mission to support the needs of children, youth, and families.