PCA Statement Against Police Brutality and Social Injustices

The Governing Board of the Popular Culture Association denounces police brutality against Black people and other people of color, which is the product of systemic racism. We staunchly oppose anti-Semitism, violence against the Asian/Asian American Pacific Islander communities, and the institutional forces that consistently devalue the lives of all people of color and members of other historically marginalized populations. As an organization, the PCA works against racism, and discrimination in all its forms, a point evidenced by our Vice President of Diversity, Outreach, and Inclusion position, and our Code of Conduct, which strictly prohibits “Harassing or intimidating others based on gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, ethnicity, religion, geographic location, age, or other group identity.” Further, the PCA supports the work against social injustices in The Journal of Popular Culture, The Journal of American Culture, and at the National Conference in subject areas such as American Indian Literatures and Cultures; Black Popular Culture; Asian Popular Culture; Latin American Literature; Film and Culture; Gay, Lesbian and Queer Studies; Gender and Media; and Women’s Studies, among many others. While we are very proud of the work in which we are currently engaged, we also recognize that the struggle against racism, discrimination, and social injustices is ongoing. The PCA leadership will remain vigilant in its efforts to make our association a welcoming and inclusive space, and to that end, we also encourage feedback from our members to help us fulfill our mission. We must all work together to exact lasting change against social inequities.     

In this same vein of inclusion, respect for marginalized groups, and commitment to providing a forum for the discussion of ideas, the Governing Board presents this statement, which was also ratified in a vote by our membership:

STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM

True to the vision of its founder, Ray B. Browne, the Popular Culture Association upholds the tradition of free intellectual inquiry by the people, as represented in its journals and academic conferences. This encompasses topics, ideas, language, and scholarly discourse.