To acknowledge our support for Black Lives Matter, in sympathy with the protests that have followed the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless other victims, and with the deepest humility, the Society for Commercial Archeology denounces systemic racism and police violence.
WHY WE HAVE ISSUED THIS STATEMENT AND WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
The SCA is a non-profit organization devoted to celebrating America’s roadside heritage … and the freedom it represents.
But in the United States, that freedom has never been available equally to all citizens. For generations, Black motorists had to reference guidebooks, like the famous Green Book, to navigate safely and with minimal humiliation through a hostile world. Public beaches and pools, commercial amusements, and endless other businesses have been sites of racial conflict for the last century. And while it became illegal to discriminate in public accommodations in the 1960s, the simple act of hanging out in a coffee shop (or birdwatching) while Black can still generate a call to the police.
To contribute to the important conversation now happening across the globe, the SCA is recommitting itself to its core mission of historical research and the sharing of stories, with a focus on articles, interviews, and other materials related to race.
- We have digitized and made freely available our Fall 2005 SCA Journal special issue devoted to “segregation on the road”
- We are examining our archives, and plan to begin republishing relevant articles to our website
- We are scheduling presentations by scholars on topics relevant to race and the American roadside
- We will seek opportunities to patronize minority-owned businesses during our conferences and tours
- We will soon be publishing a reading list curated by members and the authors and scholars associated with our organization, and will seek contributions to this list from the public