A Message from LPA’s President
I’m writing this on the heels of our annual Spring conference which was an enormous success. The room was filled with joy and laughter, handshakes and hugs. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion come to mind as I reflect on our time together.
I was first introduced to LPA in the early 1980’s as an undergraduate student at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL). Back then, the vast majority of faculty members, and LPA members, were Caucasian men. Attending my first LPA convention during this same period of time, those old white guys all wore the same uniform, grey slacks, blue-button-down shirt and Navy-blue blazer. If you attended the LPA convention in recent years, you would immediately notice a difference!
I was overjoyed with how diverse our group is and the diversity of our presenters. We had psychologists who identified as psychodynamic, strict behaviorists and everything in between. We had neuropsychologists, medical psychologists, child/adolescent psychologists and your run-of-the-mill general psychologists. We even had a Social Worker and a couple of attorneys present as well. And of course, there were woman and people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Diversity, equity and inclusion define who and what we are as a profession. We are trained to meet people where they are and accept them the way they are, especially if their view or lifestyle goes against our own values and beliefs. It’s as simple as Carl Roger’s unconditional positive regard. Our diversity is what makes the delicious gumbo of psychology and allows us to reach more people and communities.
As a reminder, LPA is a non-profit organization aimed at serving our professional members and the public at large. In serving our membership, we must continue to advocate for psychology, particularly in the state legislature and with LSBEP. We have dedicated leaders on the Executive Council (EC) who spend time and effort lobbying and defending psychology from numerous external threats. I encourage each of you to reach out to your state legislators and develop relationships with them to assist in this effort.
Inclusion starts with YOU. The EC would love to have more of the membership included and involved in the operation and mission of LPA. If there is a committee or area you are interested in, we can always use the help. As my mom used to say, many hands make light work. So, get included!
As we celebrate our 77th year in existence, let’s do so knowing that our diversity, equity and inclusion are our strength, no uniform required.
Kelley Pears, Ph.D.
