Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development

History

The AMCD was originally the Association of Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance (ANWC), which was established in 1972. Several years before that, the members of what would become the ANWC asked the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA)—the former name of the American Counseling Association—to create a separate division that would focus on nonwhite concerns. Although ANWC members paid their dues to the APGA, they had experienced limited representation and had no voting rights on the APGA's board of directors or senate. Despite recommendations pointing out the need for a multicultural perspective in counseling and education, APGA officials did not believe there was a need for a division to focus on minority issues. After long discussions and several meetings between the ANWC and APGA, APGA denied the ANWC's request.

The interested members of ANWC continued to have their own sessions and group meetings. The group expanded its membership and elected its own officers. Group members also raised funds to accomplish their goals. However, the members still experienced a lack of help or encouragement from APGA. The interested group members of ANWC continued to expend their efforts toward their goal. The members elected agents and kept disseminating information to group members who were interested in becoming a division of APGA. they also provided information concerning current progress and what was happening within the APGA.

The interested group members of the ANWC found out that the APGA could not provide any assistance to the group. Three weeks prior to the APGA national conference in 1972, the elected officers of ANWC visited the APGA headquarters in Washington, D.C., to discuss their request to become a separate division. The ANWC members and APGA officials had Many long discussions about the name, tax-exempt status, membership, and other details.

However, the APGA officials did not immediately approve the request and continued to vacillate. But at the APGA's 1972 national conference in Chicago, ANWC members finally achieved their goal of establishing a separate division. Over 400 ANWC members attended a preconference to show their support for the new division. The ANWC division was officially chartered at the Chicago convention. The name of the division was changed to the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development in 1985.

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