“There exists today a chance for [Blacks] to organize a
cooperative State within their own group.
By letting Negro farmers feed Negro artisans, and Negro technicians
guide [Black] home industries and [Black] thinkers plan this integration of
cooperation, while [Black] artists dramatize and beautify the struggle,
economic independence can be achieved.
To doubt that this is possible is to doubt the essential humanity and
the quality of brains of [Black People].”
W.E.B. DuBois, 1935
With every innovation, invention, and discovery the
evolution of humanity remains apparent. So why are we fighting the same
battles, dealing with same issues, and overlooking the teachable moments of
history? The answer to this question still eludes unfortunately. There is a
reason we highlight, support, and attempt to develop black excellence daily.
Black excellence is who we are and it’s who we have always been. No matter how
many scattered individuals refuse their rich heritage or simply are ignorant of
their ancestry black excellence cannot be stopped.
Black excellence can be contained, repressed, attacked,
demonized, and even plagiarized. No matter what Black excellence cannot be
stopped or erased. Remnants of Black excellence continue to reveal themselves
all over the world. The weight, beauty, complexity, creativity, over flowing
wealth and sure essence of Black Excellence is infinite. May every Black owned
business continue to prosper and display Black Excellence daily.
Check out an excerpt from A Moore’s “5 Historic Examples of Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa) That Advanced
The Black Community” article as seen in the Atlanta Black Star.
Federation of Southern Cooperatives
Federation of Southern Cooperatives was a nonprofit
organization of state associations founded in 1967 in Atlanta for the purpose
of supporting predominantly Black cooperatives in southern states. The
organization later merged with the Land Emergency Fund to become the Federation
of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund.
Member cooperatives engage in organic farming, marketing,
agricultural processing, fishing, sewing, handicrafts, land buying, grocery
cooperatives, and credit unions. The organization established six state offices
and a rural training and research center. It also engages in state and federal
policy advocacy and provides technical assistance to protect Black-owned land
and maintain Black land ownership, as well as promotes sustainable family
farming and cooperative development.
The Federation also provides emergency services to its
members during times of natural disaster. In its 45-year history, the
organization has helped to create and/or support more than 200 cooperatives and
credit unions mostly in the 11 states where it operates (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, and the Virgin Islands).
The Federation owns and runs a rural training and research
center in Epes, Ala., that showcases sustainable forestry, provides co-op education,
and helps to develop Black youth-run co-ops (such as Sankofa Youth
Cooperative). Its headquarters is in East Point, Ga. The FSC/LAF also engages
in cooperative development in Africa and the Caribbean.
Sources:
http://www.federationsoutherncoop.com
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org
http://en.wikipedia.org
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