Ms. Eckstein, while I lack your credentials, this paragraph seems a bit careless. Instead of repeating eugenic ideology, we need professionals to help inform the public that eugenics was a lie. These two reports explain things a whole lot better than me.
Apology to People of Color for American Psychological Association’s Role in Promoting, Perpetuating, and Failing to Challenge Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Human Hierarchy in U.S.
“Resolution adopted by the APA Council of Representatives on October 29, 2021
The American Psychological Association failed in its role leading the discipline of psychology, was complicit in contributing to systemic inequities, and hurt many through racism, racial discrimination, and denigration of people of color, thereby falling short on its mission to benefit society and improve lives. APA is profoundly sorry, accepts responsibility for, and owns the actions and inactions of APA itself, the discipline of psychology, and individual psychologists who stood as leaders for the organization and field.
The governing body within APA should have apologized to people of color before today. APA, and many in psychology, have long considered such an apology, but failed to accept responsibility. APA previously engaged in unsuccessful efforts to issue apologies in the past, including an apology to Indigenous peoples.
WHEREAS APA was established by White male leadership, many of whom contributed to scientific inquiry and methods that perpetuated systemic racial oppression, including promoting the ideas of early 20th century eugenics; Eugenics is defined as the idea that racial differences and hierarchies are biologically based and fixed, and was used to support segregation, sterilization, and antimarriage laws (Cummings Center, 2021).
WHEREAS eugenicists focused on the measurement of intelligence, health, and capability, concepts which were adopted by the field of psychology and used systemically to create the ideology of White supremacy and harm communities of color (Cummings Center, 2021; Gillham, 2001).
WHEREAS psychologists created, sustained, and promulgated ideas of human hierarchy through the construction, study, and interpretation of racial difference, and therefore contributed to the financial wealth gap and social class disparities experienced by many communities of color…”
Find full resolution here:
https://www.apa.org/about/policy/racism-apology
American Society of Human Genetics Board of Directors
“The Society affirmatively seeks to reckon with, and sincerely apologizes for, its involvement in and silence on the misuse of human genetics research to justify and contribute to injustices in all forms. It commits to sustain and expand its integration of equitable and just principles in the study and use of human genetics research, taking both immediate actions and swiftly determining longer-term goals it will set to realize the benefits of human genetics and genomics research for all.
Confronting our past. Launched in 2021, the Facing Our History – Building an Equitable Future Initiative and the report released today emerged from the height of the social and racial reckonings in 2020. At that time, ASHG’s Board of Directors identified a specific, compelling, overdue need to acknowledge and provide examples of how theories and understandings of human genetics have been used to feed and justify racism, eugenics, and other systemic forms of injustice. The Board identified the importance of focusing specifically on examples of ASHG’s role in fostering or failing to rebuke harms and on steps the Society could take to address findings.”
Find full report here:
