Mission
American Council for Polish Culture is a national organization uniting numerous Polish American clubs, associations and institutes across the United States; we are dedicated to inspiring appreciation, promotion and sharing of the rich culture, heritage and history of Poland.
President’s Message
By Celia Larkin
Dear Members and Friends of the American Council for Polish Culture,
Our organization was established over 75 years ago and as we look at its long and eventful history, we think of that day in 1948 when representatives of thirteen Polish organizations got together and established the American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs with a mission to inspire appreciation, promotion and sharing of the rich culture, heritage and history of Poland. In 1988, the ACPCC became the American Council for Polish Culture to better reflect its national role but the original vision to promote unity, solidarity and sharing of experiences among affiliate organizations to better fulfill their common mission remained paramount.
Today, the ACPC is the only umbrella organization in the United States uniting diverse local Polonia cultural organizations. As we look to the future, we do recognize that there are challenges as individual clubs and associations experience losses in membership because, let’s face it, we live in a different world. Technology and easy access to broad social media and sources of all kinds of entertainment seem to suggest that people are less likely to seek out and focus on traditional niches founded and nurtured by past generations. Still, just searching through social media, we discover a Polish club in Florida holding regular dances and cultural events, a young dance group in Atlanta, Georgia, traveling to places near and far at the invitation of other lovers of Polish folk traditions, and a community in Ohio dedicating a newly constructed, multi-million dollar Polish Cultural Center. This is just a small sample. Our membership outreach committee has been hard at work to attract new members and we are winning new members for ACPC.
So why should these organizations join us? The cover of the 75th Anniversary Convention book, 2023, had a simple but striking design, just two colors: the top half in white and the lower one in red with an encircled number 75 in the center. As you look closer, a texture becomes visible, representing facets of a diamond, a symbol of longevity and strength traditionally used for this milestone anniversary. And this is how I see it. Each organization is a unit unto itself, functioning within a circle of its own community. However, when joined with others, each becomes a facet of a diamond reflecting off the others and drawing on each other’s strength. By becoming members of the ACPC, they are part of a national organization that “is dedicated to inspiring appreciation, promotion, and sharing of the rich culture, heritage and history of Poland.” Individual bricks make big buildings and facets of a diamond result in a brilliant sparkle. W jedności siła.
Please take a tour of this website to see what we are doing and meet our affiliates and supporting organizations by visiting their websites and Facebook pages. Please let me know what you think and if you’re not a member yet, we’d love to have you and your organization join us.