The Division on People of Color and Crime (DPCC) is a Division within the American Society of Criminology (ASC). The idea to create the new Division was conceived during a meeting with Black criminologists at the November 1994 ASC conference held in Miami, Florida. During the conference a petition was circulated collecting original signatures and addresses of at least three percent of ASC members who supported the proposed establishment of a “Division on People of Color and Crime.”

1994

On December 23, 1994, the petition was submitted to ASC headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. At the April 1995 midyear ASC Executive Board meeting, it was determined that the petition conformed to ASC requirements. On August 18, 1995, a revision of the Division Constitution was submitted to the ASC Board.

1995

On November 14, 1995, the DPCC was approved by the ASC Executive Board at the ASC conference held in Boston, Massachusetts. The DPCC was established under the ASC presidential leadership and support of Freda Adler (Rutgers University). To support membership recruitment efforts, incoming ASC President Charles Wellford (University of Maryland) wrote the ASC membership a letter encouraging them to join the DPCC. Prior to the first elections, Julius Debro (University of Washington) and Ruth Peterson (Ohio State University) served as Co-Chairs of the Division Steering Committee.

1998

The first Division Officers were elected in November 1998:

Chair: Chinita A. Heard
Vice Chair: Evelyn Gilbert
Secretary: Becky Tatum
Executive Counselors: Jeanette Covington, Charles Crawford, and Darnell Hawkins