AASP Newsletter - November 2018

Leeja Carter

Leeja Carter, PhD, Long Island University - Brooklyn

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." -- James Baldwin

For those who did not attend the Business Meeting at this year's AASP conference in Toronto, you missed an emotional, moving, and unifying event. During the "new business" portion, Drs. Tanya Prewitt-White, Kensa Gunter, Rob Owens, and I shared personal and professional experiences of micro and macro aggressions within AASP. At this year’s annual conference, we chose to use the Business Meeting to express our frustrations and disappointment in hopes that members of the executive board and the AASP membership would recognize the immediacy and necessity for change concerning the organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Furthermore, we each witnessed our colleagues, friends, and others leave AASP in large part due to the organization’s lack of inclusivity. We each gravitated to the Diversity Committee, and other groups, working our way into various leadership positions (formally and informally) in hopes to address this issue but were consistently met with resistance. 

Our experiences are not unique. We are just another generation of diversity and social justice-minded professionals that have felt silenced. 

That Friday at the AASP Annual Conference in Toronto we used the Business Meeting to voice our experiences – and to our surprise, we were met with support, other voices, and allies. After listening to our stories, concerns, and truths, AASP President Dr. Amy Baltzell made a presidential appointment of AASP's first Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Division Head, designating this individual's role to address diversity and inclusion on an organizational level. 

The individual in this executive board position will develop and execute the organization’s diversity and inclusion strategy working with all members of the executive board, committees, and Special Interest Groups to integrate principles of social justice and inclusion throughout AASP’s initiatives, conference programming, membership services, and public relations efforts. I have been named the interim D&I Division Head, as the position still needs to be ratified in AASP’s constitution at next year’s conference. 

Since my interim appointment, I have primarily received emails of support, but also notes of skepticism and caution, which I understand. Having been on the front lines working to address issues within AASP, as well as hearing from those who have left after being emotionally burnt out, I understand cautionary thoughts of whether AASP is going to fully embrace this role. My reply to sceptics is: I am driven by the passion and emotional response we received at the Business Meeting, which unanimously stated, "it's time." I am also driven by the years of work I and others have done formally and informally to raise awareness, increase diversity, and most importantly, to create elements of inclusion within AASP. 

For some, this may seem foreign, and for others, it's a long time coming for moving our organization in the right direction. As with anything, change is never easy, and of course there will be challenges. Some include:

Having a Game Plan 
One challenge as an organization is to develop a strategy where inclusion is not just a priority but standard operating procedure. For AASP as an organization, just as much as sport is “who we are”, so too should inclusive, socially just practice be. It is essential to recognize that D&I are about much more than attracting diverse members and attendees to our webinars, conferences, and CMPC certification. Rather, true diversity and inclusion must reflect how well those “diverse populations” are included and developed within our organization and how their experiences and needs are equitably addressed. D&I involves having strategies such as leadership incubators and professional development programs for minority students and professionals, as well as veterans. D&I includes bridging the gap in communication between leadership groups and the most marginal within our organization. It is about aligning ourselves with international and social justice-oriented sport organizations in order to raise the level of cultural awareness, competency, and inclusive practice within our organization. 

Embracing Diverse Communities and Voices
D&I concerns creating a space for diverse member voices. For example, supporting the development of minority student and professional groups for professional fellowship, peer mentorship, and advocacy as well as to extend their support outside the organization to the next generation of sport helping professionals. 

Taking a Hard Look at Our Climate and Safety
D&I are also about safety and mental health. An inclusive organization provides its members not only a sense of belonging, professional development, and fellowship but also of physical, emotional, and psychological safety. Tolerating hate, bigotry, discrimination, harassment, assault, bullying, etc. in any form creates an unsafe climate. Taking a critical and hard look at how our organization has tolerated such actions is a challenge, but also necessary for addressing diversity issues and creating an inclusive organization.  

Taking the Lead
As the leading sport psychology organization we have a responsibility to keep a pulse on what’s happening in sport domestically and globally, how this impacts our members and those we serve, and how we can be the organization that leads by example in fostering an internally inclusive and equitable culture that speaks to our mission and values. 

I have attended every business meeting since becoming a member of AASP; the meeting in Toronto was the first time I witnessed a unanimous and unified decision from the members. While there will be bumps and challenges that test our strength, I am looking forward to witnessing our growth as we become a model to other sport organizations. I am sincerely looking forward to working with you all in the coming months, and welcome you all to reach out if you have recommendations or suggestions on ways we can cultivate an equitable and inclusive sport organization.