Cooperation Jackson
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| Founded | May 1, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 939 W. Capitol St., , |
Area served | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Website | https://cooperationjackson.org |
Cooperation Jackson is an emerging network of worker cooperatives in Jackson, Mississippi. It aims to develop a series of independent but connected democratic institutions to empower workers and residents of Jackson, particularly to address the needs of poor, unemployed, black or Latino residents.[1] The development of Cooperation Jackson was heavily inspired by the Mondragon Corporation in Spain, which is also a federation of cooperatives, and by historical cooperative movements as described in works by W. E. B. Du Bois and in the book Collective Courage by Jessica Gordon Nembhard.[2]
History[edit]
Cooperation Jackson plans to carry out a vision of a radically democratic city of interconnected cooperatives and supporting institutions. Although the city of Jackson was already home to the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives, before Cooperation Jackson, there were not many existing cooperative businesses. Kali Akuno, co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson,[3] describes a goal of bringing a strong focus of cooperative economics to an urban context, as opposed to the rural context of existing agricultural and utility co-ops.[2]
The organization has attempted to work within and outside of the government to achieve its goals. It has had to fight off anti-democratic measures by the Mississippi state legislators including austerity measures, an attempted takeover of Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, and an attempt to pass a bill to hand control of the city government over to the governor.[4] The organizers also struggle with working in an economically depressed city in the poorest state in the United States.[5]
Jackson-Kush Plan[edit]
Kali Akuno has described the network as a key part of enacting the Jackson-Kush Plan.[2] The plan, which was developed by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and the Jackson People's Assembly,[6] involves building a strong base of community wealth, stability, racial equity, and economic democracy in Jackson.[1] It has three planks, which are the "building of a broad-based solidarity economy, the building of people's assemblies, and the building of an independent black political party."[7]
Organizers behind Cooperation Jackson believe that a solidarity economy rooted in democratic principles is a core requirement of developing the community's capacity and vision in making meaningful change. The direct democracy of people's assemblies and local government electoral strategy are designed to both benefit and benefit from a strong cooperative system. [7]
Institutions[edit]
Several cooperatives already exist as part of the Cooperation Jackson network. These include the lawn care business The Green Team, the organic vegetable farm Freedom Farms, and the print shop The Center for Community Production, which also operates a 3D printer. These cooperatives try to alleviate causes of poverty and discrimination while operating in an ecologically sustainable manner. A cooperative incubator exists, called the Balagoon Center. Cooperation Jackson also owns about three hectares of land which it operates as a community land trust.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Who We Are". Cooperation Jackson. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ a b c "Left Out: Kali Akuno on Worker Cooperatives, Economic Democracy, and Black Self-Determination". Democracy at Work. January 18, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ "Kali Akuno". Cooperation Jackson. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ Moskowitz, P. E. (2017-04-24). "Meet the Radical Workers' Cooperative Growing in the Heart of the Deep South". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ "Which town in your state is the poorest? Here is the list". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ "The Jackson Plan: A Struggle for Self-Determination, Participatory Democracy, and Economic Justice - The Bullet". Socialist Project. 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
- ^ a b "Jackson Rising". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ Franco, Cheree (October 2, 2019). "Building a Solidarity Economy in Jackson, Mississippi". The Indypendent. Archived from the original on 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
