Mar 16, 2020
It is safe to say that we are living in extremely stressful times. The president rules more than governs and his rhetoric and policies reflect and encourage overt acts of racism and sexism. His relentless focus on border walls and deportations have created chaos in immigrant communities. And now we are grappling with COVID-19, a pandemic for which we are unprepared, and which the president framed in xenophobic terms. The failure to respond quickly to this crisis raises questions about our health care system, insurance industry, income security for low wage workers, and access to food for children when public schools are closed. And a national conversation is taking place about the toll these conditions are taking on our physical and mental health. The American Psychological Association engages its 118,000 members in advocating for public policies that meet human needs and combat racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia and more. Dr. Brian Smedley, APA’s Chief of Psychology in the Public Interest, talks about how using science to separate bias from fact. A moving and important conversation.