Cooperation Jackson

Cooperation Jackson is an emerging network of worker cooperatives in Jackson, Mississippi. Its aim is to develop a series of independent but connected democratic institutions to empower workers and residents of Jackson, particularly those who are poor, unemployed, black or Latino.[1] The development of Cooperation Jackson was heavily inspired by existing cooperatives such as the Mondragon Corporation 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]

Cooperation Jackson
FoundedMay 1, 2014 (May 1, 2014)
Headquarters939 W. Capitol St.,
Jackson, Mississippi
,
United States
Area served
Jackson, Mississippi
Websitehttps://cooperationjackson.org

History

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] It also struggles with working in an economically depressed city in the poorest state in the United States.[5]

Jackson-Kush Plan

Kali Akuno has described the network as a means to enact the Jackson-Kush Plan. The plan has the goal of building a strong base of community wealth, stability, racial equity, and economic democracy,[1] and was developed by the Malcom X Grassroots Movement and the Jackson People's Assembly.[6] The plan's three planks 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]

The belief is 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 expected to both benefit and benefit from a strong cooperative economy. [7]

Institutions

Several cooperatives already exist as part of the Cooperation Jackson network. These include lawn care business The Green Team, organic vegetable farm Freedom Farms, and 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
  1. "Who We Are". Cooperation Jackson. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  2. January 18, Posted on; 2018. "LEFT OUT: Kali Akuno on Worker Cooperatives, Economic Democracy, and Black Self-Determination". Democracy at Work (d@w). Retrieved 2020-08-16.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. "Kali Akuno". Cooperation Jackson. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  4. 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.
  5. "Which town in your state is the poorest? Here is the list". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  6. "The Jackson Plan: A Struggle for Self-Determination, Participatory Democracy, and Economic Justice - The Bullet". Socialist Project. 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  7. "Jackson Rising". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  8. Franco, Cheree (October 2, 2019). "Building a Solidarity Economy in Jackson, Mississippi". The Indypendent. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
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