Newsfeed > APsaA Says Othering is a Public Health Crisis
New York, NY – 8/31/2020 - Two more Black men, Trayford Pellerin and Jacob Blake, were shot by police the past two weeks. Pellerin was killed by 11 shots. Blake survived seven bullets to his back and has been left paralyzed. The shootings have re-energized the antiracism protests that spread across the country this Spring following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.
As the new protests erupted across the country, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle, went to one such protest in Kenosha, WI, killing two protesters and injuring a third. The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) supports the Black Lives Matter movement and decries these recent acts of race-based violence.
According to the Association, “Othering” is a psychological process where one’s identity is maintained in opposition to some other group which is maligned, vilified, and viewed as Other. The widespread resort to othering is a public health crisis at the root of growing divisiveness and tribalism in the U.S. and abroad. Most importantly according to William Glover, President of the Association, “Othering is more than just scapegoating and denigration, it denies the humanity of the other and underlies acts of racial hatred and violence.”
“Othering occurs when we talk about Blue states vs Red States. It is manifested when we separate immigrant children from their parents. And we witness it when police unnecessarily and repeatedly kill Black people while white vigilantes are condoned and encouraged,” added Glover.
The Association is calling for national and local leaders to protect the public health of all Americans by stopping the rhetoric and institutionalization of othering and revising police procedures based on racial bias. Following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, the Association created a resource page for addressing racism.
Visit www.apsa.org/addressing-racism for links to previous statements and information.
About the American Psychoanalytic Association:
APsaA is the oldest and largest professional organization for psychoanalysts in North America, representing 3,000 members, 33 approved training institutes, and 39 affiliate societies throughout the United States.