What does AACCD mean in CULTURE

The African American Communication and Culture Division (AACCD) is a division of the National Communication Association (NCA) dedicated to the promotion of scholarly research, publication, teaching and advocacy related to African American communication and culture. The AACCD seeks to bring together researchers, teachers, graduate students, activists, practitioners and others who share an interest in the diverse range of issues affecting African American communication.

The primary goals of AACCD include creating collaborative partnerships with other divisions within NCA; encouraging scholarship on diverse topics related to African American communication; providing critical analysis and evaluation of current issues concerning African American communication; developing strategies for improving teaching practices in classrooms dealing with these topics; and advocating for social change through research, education, outreach programs, and networking initiatives.

Membership in AACCD is open to anyone interested in furthering its mission. To become a member you must pay an annual dues fee which will give you access to exclusive AACCD events such as conferences and academic journals. You also gain access to the resources available from NCA such as online courses and publications. Please contact NCA directly for any additional membership inquiries or visit their website at www.natcom.org.

AACCD engages in numerous activities all directed towards furthering its mission. Examples include hosting interactive discussion forums that address new research findings or examining current socio-cultural issues related to African American communication; providing grants for individuals conducting research on these topics; organizing conferences that examine specific themes related to communication studies involving African Americans; offering mentorship programs for both undergraduate students as well as postdoctoral scholars; collaborating with other organizations such as the Association for Black Studies or Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs); and maintaining contact with political representatives who are considering legislation impacting African Americans specifically.

No! AACCD strives to be an international organization that fosters collaboration between researchers from across the globe who specialize in this area of study. Like many professional societies today, democratic ideals enable everyone regardless of geography or institutional affiliation to join their ranks.

Yes! In order to be eligible for all benefits associated with membership in AACCD including certain privileges with regard to registering for conferences sponsored by NCA or applying for grants sponsored by either organization then one must pay an annual dues fee that is determined each year by both NCA & ACCD.

Yes! Student memberships are available at discounted rates when one is actively enrolled as a full time student at an accredited college/university studying subjects pertaining to Communication/Culture/African-American studies.

Various awards are given out annually by ACCD which recognize significant contributions made within areas such as research & publication activity (scholarly work), outstanding leadership skills (mentoring & advising), creativity & innovation (pedagogical approaches), community engagement (professional service) etc.

Yes! In some instances funds may be available depending upon participants’ backgrounds & level of involvement within ACCD’s initiatives both prior & currently – please contact ACCD directly if you have any questions regarding this program.