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 organization founded in an attempt to develop an economically uplifting democratic “solidarity economy” in Jackson, Mississippi. Its stated aims are to develop a series of independent but connected institutions and enterprises which can empower residents of Jackson, especially those who are poor, unemployed, black, or Latino. [1]
History
Cooperation Jackson plans to carry out a vision of a radically democratic city, inspired by the Jackson Plan set forward by the Malcom X Grassroots Movement and the Jackson People's Assembly. [2] One big piece of this goal involves establishing a network of worker cooperatives and cooperative institutions. Its founders believe this is the way to build community wealth, stability, racial equity, and economic democracy. [1]
The movement 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. [3] It also struggles with working in an economically depressed city in the poorest state in the United States. [4]
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 also exists, called the Balagoon Center. The organization owns about three hectares of land which it operates as a community land trust. [5]
References
- ^ a b "Who We Are". Cooperation Jackson. 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.
- ^ Moskowitz, P. E. (2017-04-24). "Meet the Radical Workers' Cooperative Growing in the Heart of the Deep South". 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.
- ^ Franco, Cheree (October 2, 2019). "Building a Solidarity Economy in Jackson, Mississippi". The Indypendent. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
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