Co-op History is Black History
This February (and every month) we celebrate the long, powerful tradition of Black cooperative economics. From mutual aid societies in the 1780s to freedom farms and credit unions, Black communities have used cooperative models as tools for collective liberation and self-determination long before co-ops were trendy. The solidarity economy we participate in here at People's Food Co-op wouldn't exist without this history.
Dive deeper into this legacy:
A brief history of Black cooperatives in the U.S. — Zanetta Jones, Shareable*
Fannie Lou Hamer Founds the Freedom Farm Cooperative — SNCC Legacy Archives
Land, Resistance, and Liberation: Agricultural Cooperatives as a Vital Piece of Black History in the U.S. — Trina Jackson, Grassroots International
Dangerous History: What the Story of Black Economic Cooperation Means for Us Today — Yes Magazine
Solidarity Economics — Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard
Cooperative Economics and Civil Rights — Dr. Nembhard on the Laura Flanders Show (video)
#BlackCoopsMatter Series — Elizabeth L. Carter
Black-owned cooperative startups in the North End model opportunity for more equitable Detroit — Detroit Community Wealth Fund* & Seed Commons*
Full resource list compiled by the New Economy Coalition: neweconomy.net/black-coop-history
Black Food Justice, Right Here in the PNW
We are honored to be rooted in a region where Black farmers, organizers, and visionaries are doing transformative work every day. We encourage our co-op community to learn, support, and show up for these organizations:
Feed 'Em Freedom Foundation — “The Feed'em Freedom Foundation is developing the Black Community Food Center, an agricultural hub designed to aggregate crops from small BIPOC producers and collectively market them to food service accounts.”
Black Food Sovereignty Coalition — “The Black Food Sovereignty Coalition (BFSC) mission is to ignite Black and Brown communities to participate as owners and movement leaders within food systems, placemaking, and economic development. We serve as a collaboration hub for Black and Brown communities to confront the systemic barriers that make food, place and economic opportunities inaccessible to us.”
Black Futures Farm — “Black Futures Farm is both a community-building and production farm, where we grow meaningful relationships alongside vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Our mission is to heal the connection between Black people and the land, and we achieve this by cultivating a healthy place for the Black community to gather in joy.”
Equitable Giving Circle —
”Equitable Giving Circle (EGC) is a Black Women and Black Femme led organization aiming to make large economic deposits into Portland BIPOC economy, while also encouraging community healing. We launched in Spring of 2020 with an idea and an ask of the community to trust in this vision and people not only believed us, but funded us.”
Revolution of the Heart Farm — “Black Latine Queer tended Farm in “PDX”” thats rooted in healing, justice, and relationship with the land. Revolution of the Heart Farm prioritizes nourishing marginalized communities with sustainably grown produce.
Black Oregon Land Trust — “BOLT is committed to eliminating the systemic barriers that continue to prevent Black communities from securely accessing land, because we believe that land sovereignty is the key to achieving our visions of food justice, generational wealth and health, cultural preservation, and thriving communities.”
Black Food Fund — “The mission of the Black Food Fund is to fuel Black-led food systems transformation across the Pacific Northwest. Our goal is to shift capital in ways that build wealth, self-determination, and resiliency for Black people within our regional food system.”
Sacred Land Collective — “Sacred Land Collective’s purpose is to center and cultivate healing for black, brown and indigenous communities. Resourcing and amplifying collective cultural arts tools and technologies to address intergenerational, interpersonal, and collective traumas. Through this expansive wellness work we actively co-create thriving communities and resurrect culturally vital practices.”
As a co-op, we cannot exist without the legacy of Black cooperative pioneers.
To the Black visionaries who built the solidarity economy (and who continue to fight for it) — thank you. Our Ends are rooted in social, environmental, and economic justice, and so we must continue this work together.
To our wider co-op community — thank you for shopping, volunteering, and co-owning a community institution that strives to reflect these values. Black history is not one month. It is the foundation of the movement we are all building together.
