By Pat Thornton, Everything Cooperative
As we navigate an unprecedented era marked by widespread job loss, displacement, and the erosion of constitutional rights, the declaration of 2025 as the International Year of the Cooperative couldn’t be timelier. Although this designation was likely made years ago, it feels quite fitting—almost serendipitous. Cooperatives offer a proven and powerful model for advancing economic empowerment, particularly within communities of color in the U.S. and across the globe. These people-centered enterprises have long served as vital instruments for building inclusive and sustainable economies—especially during periods of economic downturn—demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of crisis.
Many may now be asking, “What is Cooperative?” According to the International Cooperative Alliance, it defines cooperatives as people-focused organizations that are collectively owned and democratically governed by their members, with the aim of meeting shared economic, social, and cultural goals. Rooted in values and guiding principles, cooperatives prioritize fairness and equality, empowering individuals to build sustainable enterprises that foster lasting employment and prosperity. Whether managed by producers, consumers, or workers, cooperatives operate on the principle of “one member, one vote,” ensuring that each member has equal say in decision-making, without any regard to their investment.
Despite the pivotal role cooperatives have played in navigating economic crises throughout history, their contributions often remain underrecognized. During the Great Depression, for instance, numerous cooperatives emerged as communities sought alternative economic solutions amid widespread unemployment and financial instability. These cooperatives provided essential services and goods, fostering resilience and self-sufficiency among their members.
Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, in her book Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, highlights how African American communities have historically utilized cooperatives to combat economic exclusion and build collective wealth. She notes that the lack of access to capital and ownership opportunities led Black communities to form cooperatives as a means of achieving economic stability and self-determination.
In the Civil Rights Era, cooperatives continued to serve as vital tools for economic empowerment, particularly within Black communities.
- In 1967, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer established the Freedom Farm Cooperative (FFC) in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The FFC aimed to provide Black farmers with access to land, food, and economic opportunities, addressing systemic barriers to capital and ownership that had long marginalized Black communities .
- Organizations like the Federation of Southern Cooperatives were established to support Black farmers and promote land retention, addressing the economic disparities caused by systemic racism. UWCC Resources
- The Black Panther Party implemented a range of community-based programs rooted in cooperative principles. Their initiatives, such as the Free Breakfast Program for Children and community medical clinics, exemplified their commitment to self-determination and economic independence for Black communities .
- The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) also recognized the power of cooperatives in achieving economic self-sufficiency. In the late 1960s, SNCC members helped establish New Communities, Inc., a land trust in Southwest Georgia designed to provide Black farmers with land ownership and economic autonomy .SNCC Digital Gateway
As economic inequality continues to grow, cooperative models offer a renewed and timely solution. In response to recent funding cuts to nonprofit grant programs that support underserved populations, many community leaders are turning to cooperative solutions that proved effective during transformative periods in U.S. history—such as the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement.
Today, organizations like Peoples Network for Land Liberation – a BIPOC‑led consortium of six organizations launched in 2020 by Cooperation Jackson—is at the forefront are reviving and adapting FFC’s legacy to tackle urgent issues such as affordable housing and land access, demonstrating how historic models can be reimagined for modern needs. One compelling PNLL example: Cooperation Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi, is using a community land trust model to strip away land speculation and rent burdens. They’ve acquired dozens of properties, including single-family homes, farmland, and commercial buildings, to be stewarded by the community. A former strip mall is being converted into a worker-owned grocery co‑op, and urban farms are producing food for residents.
Another organization reflecting a model similar to the cooperative efforts of the Black Panther Party is ChiFresh Kitchen. ChiFresh is a Chicago-based worker cooperative founded in 2020 by formerly incarcerated women, emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide healthy, culturally appropriate meals to vulnerable communities. Rooted in principles of economic justice and self-determination, ChiFresh has evolved beyond food service into a broader cooperative ecosystem that supports its members’ long-term stability and empowerment.
In addition to operating as a worker-owned food business, ChiFresh has collaborated with other organizations to help members secure housing through cooperative ownership models, such as the JumpStart Housing Cooperative in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood (jcua.org). The cooperative has also acquired shared transportation assets, including a delivery van to support its operations, increasing both business capacity and member mobility (fiftybyfifty.org).
ChiFresh is also developing peer-based financial resources, including the groundwork for community lending tools that offer member-owners access to capital and support for personal and professional growth. These efforts represent a holistic model where worker-owners gain equity not only in their workplace but also in the tools and infrastructure that shape their everyday lives.
Throughout history, cooperatives have played a vital role in advancing economic justice and fostering self-sufficiency within marginalized communities. By looking back at the cooperative strategies that have successfully addressed community challenges in the past, we can build on those foundations to meet the urgent needs of today—and lay the groundwork for a solidarity economy that future generations will inherit.
Historical insights from Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, along with the work of Cooperation Jackson and ChiFresh Kitchen, have all been highlighted on Everything Co-op, a nationally syndicated weekly radio show. To explore more stories like these and learn about the cooperative movement, visit everything.coop.
Pat Thornton is a media producer and a dedicated advocate for underserved communities. She hosts The Thornton Business Hour on WOL, Radio One’s leading talk radio station, and also produces Everything Co-op, a program that explores how cooperatives can address and resolve community challenges.
