by Tanisha Stewart, Psy.D.

In 2020, NCSPP committed to "inclusion, antiracism, and anti-oppression" through "dismantling the sources of institutional racism within our training and administrative structures." Although only two years have passed, that time feels like a lifetime ago. America was in the midst of its "racial reckoning." According to the New York Times, Black Lives Matter (BLM) was likely the largest movement in our country's history. As a result, cities enacted police reforms, confederate monuments were toppled, and organizations promised greater diversity and inclusivity.

Since the height of the BLM movement, America's attention has diverted away from racial justice. In the past few months, this nation has experienced an onslaught of domestic and international tragedies. As we know, continuous exposure to trauma overwhelms the mind and body's ability to cope. It is easy to succumb to despair, numbness, and apathy. I have experienced each of these emotions in turn. The task of dismantling racism feels as daunting as preventing gun violence or stopping a war. However, I have centered my presidential term on ensuring that NCSPP pairs its dedication to inclusivity with action.

The question arises: how can we track our progress toward inclusion? NCSPP has embarked on shifting the organizational culture at the board level to create a more welcoming environment, support difficult conversations, and encourage dissenting opinions. However, internal changes at the leadership level are frequently invisible to members at large and difficult to quantify. NCSPP will begin collecting demographic data of our members to discover the make-up of the NCSPP membership. This data collection will allow us to better understand the community we serve and establish a baseline to measure our progress toward equity and inclusion.