What does AI have to say about the benefits of creating Black cooperatives in the United States?

Today, I asked AI to provide its perspective on how the creation of Black Cooperatives could benefit our community. I wanted to know if there was a more concise way to explain it to you without you falling asleep on me.

This is what was provided as the answer:

The creation of agricultural, consumer, and service cooperatives can greatly benefit the Black population in the United States. Cooperatives can provide control of income generation, assist in wealth creation, and ultimately gain economic independence [1]. By pooling resources and working together, members of cooperatives can achieve their shared objectives. Here are some examples of how cooperatives can benefit the Black population:

1. Agricultural Cooperatives: Black farmers can form cooperatives to market and sell their products, share farming techniques, and coordinate planting and harvesting [3]. This can lead to increased production, diversification of crops, and marketing of produce [2].
2. Consumer Cooperatives: Black consumers can form cooperatives to purchase goods and services at affordable prices, receive dividends based on their purchases, and have control over the products they consume [3]. This can lead to increased economic stability, self-sufficiency, and group independence [6].
3. Service Cooperatives: Black communities can form cooperatives to provide services such as childcare, health care, and funeral services to their members [1]. This can lead to increased access to essential services and improved quality of life.

Cooperatives have a long history in the Black community in America, dating back to the times of slavery [6]. They have been used as a form of resistance, mutual aid, and collective self-reliance [1]. By utilizing cooperative business models, Black communities can address disparities and reimagine a more equitable food system [1]. Cooperatives can also be a key driver of economic growth and prosperity for the Black community [1].

The creation of agricultural, consumer, and service cooperatives can greatly benefit the Black population in the United States. By pooling resources and working together, members of cooperatives can achieve their shared objectives, gain economic independence, and improve their quality of life. Cooperatives have a long history in the Black community and can be a powerful tool for economic empowerment through group economics.

Citations:
[1] https://fairfarmsnow.org/a-short-history-of-black-cooperatives-in-the-u-s/
[2] https://newrepublic.com/article/91451/black-cooperatives
[3] https://www.foodcoop.coop/blog/2020/6/19/a-short-history-of-black-cooperatives-in-america
[4] https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-06216-7.html
[5] https://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop/beginning-of-black-co-ops/
[6] https://strangematters.coop/the-black-cooperative-economy-jessica-gordon-nembhard-collective-courage/

Then, I was staring at the screen like damn right! I said that that’s what I’m talking about!

But that wasn’t enough. So, I started asking more questions just to see if information that is so sparse on the internet would become readily available. So, the next question I asked was:

What are some successful Black Cooperatives in America?

This is the answer that was given:

Black cooperatives have a long history of success and resilience in the United States. Here are some examples of successful Black cooperatives:

1. Freedom Quilting Bee: Founded in 1967, this cooperative was made up of women from southern sharecropping families who joined together to craft and sell quilts [1].
2. Southern Consumers: Founded in 1961 by a Black priest, Father Albert McKnight, this cooperative has 12,000 members throughout southern Louisiana and provides access to affordable goods and services [3].
3. Southwest Alabama Farmers Cooperative Association (SWAFCA): Organized in the Alabama Black Belt in 1966 by veterans of the Selma march, this cooperative has been successful in helping Black farmers to sustain or develop as independent operators [3].
4. Ujamaa Collective: Founded in Pittsburgh by African American craftswomen, this cooperative provides a marketplace for their products and services [1].
5. National Federation of Colored Farmers: Founded in 1922, this cooperative was formed to increase Black farm ownership through cooperative buying, production, and marketing [5].
6. Cooperative Home Care Associates: The largest worker-owned cooperative in the United States, this cooperative is largely composed of Black and Latina women and provides home care services [5].

Black cooperatives have been used as a form of resistance, mutual aid, and collective self-reliance[6]. They have played an important part in helping Black communities to address disparities and reimagine a more equitable food system[1]. By building on their strengths and addressing challenges, Black cooperatives can continue to be a powerful tool for economic empowerment and community development.

Citations:
[1] https://www.foodcoop.coop/blog/2020/6/19/a-short-history-of-black-cooperatives-in-america
[2] https://geo.coop/articles/brief-history-black-cooperatives-us
[3] https://newrepublic.com/article/91451/black-cooperatives
[4] https://www.civilrightsteaching.org/resource/brief-history-of-black-cooperatives
[5] https://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop/beginning-of-black-co-ops/
[6] https://fairfarmsnow.org/a-short-history-of-black-cooperatives-in-the-u-s/

Resilience

There I was now sitting there wondering, should I be so happy that the computer is saying my people are resilient? Why am I feeling excited that AI used this language to describe our journey in this country?

It honestly was a bittersweet moment for me, knowing that one cannot be resilient without having faced adversities… I said, I’m going to take a moment to enjoy the sweet part knowing that we have not been counted out by the borgs, yet.

So here am today, letting AI be our coach and cheerleader for today. I hope you’re still awake and that you also feel a little fuzzy too.

Do your research. Ask questions and reach out to the community to find out who has the same passions as you do. Join a cooperative. Start a cooperative. Go all out and do both. As you know though, it is my greatest heart’s desire that you will build a cooperative with me. However, I will not hold it against you if you join a few others, you know it’s community love.

Reach out to me through the Connect With Us Form or wherever you see me, to talk about building connections and cooperatives.

Power Through Peace,

-Faith Hope

Building While Black