Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Self-Determination in Jackson, Mississippi

Edited By: Cooperation Jackson (Kali Akuno, Sacajawea Hall, brandon king) and Ajamu Nangwaya

There is a W.E.B. DuBois statement popular in radical political circles in the United States that asserts, “as the South goes so goes the nation.” This claim has much to do with the outsized role that the US South has played and continues to play in the ideology, economics and politics of the country. It is not a coincidence that the politics of mass resistance against racism and other forms of oppression in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s had its origins in the South with the emergence of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

It is the intensity of oppressive conditions in the South that provides the potential for movements emanating from this region to ignite the powder keg of popular resistance across the country. It is in the preceding context that we would like to document an emerging social, economic and political experiment that has the potential to provide a framework for resistance to racist domination, patriarchal oppression, ecological destruction and capitalist economic exploitation in the United States.

Jackson Rising is a chronicle of one of the most dynamic, but under-documented experiments in radical social transformation taking place in the United States. The book documents the ongoing organizing and institution building of the political forces concentrated in Jackson, Mississippi dedicated to advancing the “Jackson-Kush Plan”. These forces include the Jackson People’s Assembly, the New Afrikan People’s Organization, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, the Jackson Human Rights Institute and Cooperation Jackson.

The “Jackson-Kush Plan” is a strategy written by Kali Akuno and collectively developed by activists in the New Afrikan People’s Organization and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in the mid-2000’s to advance the struggle for socialism in the United States and self-determination for people of Afrikan descent in Mississippi and the US South.

Jackson Rising documents the history of this movement, its contributions towards the radical transformation of the United States, and its ideological and political implications for social movements throughout the United States, the global South and the world. 

Solar Energy Coming to the Chokwe Lumumba Center for Economic Democracy and Development

We are proud to announce that the Lumumba Center will soon be a solar powered and operated facility, thanks to a generous donation that we received.

This development helps us fulfill a critical plank towards the fulfillment of our Jackson Just Transition Plan (JJTP) and Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) to create a sustainable, regenerative economy in Jackson. 

Cooperation Jackson's very own Kali Akuno has been selected as a keynote speakers for CommonBound 2016

Cooperation Jackson's very own Co-Founder and Co-Director, Kali Akuno has been selected as a keynote speaker for this year's convening taking place July 8-10 in Buffalo, NY.

CommonBound will bring together hundreds of leaders and organizations from across North America for an international conference on visionary strategies for achieving deep systemic change. Participants will share insights and stories, build relationships, highlight achievements, and chart a shared path toward a society that puts people and planet first. Participants will include a cross-section of community leaders, thinkers, and practitioners from around the world, including the New Economy Coalition’s 140-plus member organizations from throughout the US and Canada.

United Nations Experts on People of African Descent - Mississippi Mission

The United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent is undertaking a fact-finding mission in Jackson and other parts of Mississippi January 22nd – 24th. Cooperation Jackson will host the Working Group Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the Chokwe Lumumba Center for Economic Democracy and Development. Saturday's Full Schedule

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The United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent is undertaking a fact-finding mission in Jackson and other parts of Mississippi January 22nd – 24th. The Working Group is touring four cities, including Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago in addition to Jackson. The purpose of the visit is to gather as much evidence about the current state and conditions of people of African descent in the United States, particularly as it pertains to criminal justice and the respect for our economic, social and cultural rights, that will be reported on directly to the Human Rights Council in the form of a report. This report will be used to pressure the United States government to respect, protect, and fulfill its human rights obligations to people of African descent living within the United States. 

The visit of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent will also be utilized as an opportunity to promote the International Decade of People of African Descent. The International Decade commenced on January 1st, 2015 and is set to end December 31st, 2024. Cooperation Jackson and the Jackson Human Rights Institute are utilizing the decade to try and promote systemic change for people of African descent in the United States. We intend on doing ongoing program to promote the decade, the case for reparations, and the call for a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice over the course of the next 9 years. For more information on the International Decade for People of African Descent visit http://www.un.org/en/events/africandescentdecade/ 

All people who identify as people of African Descent (i.e. Black people, African Americans, New Afrikans, etc.) regardless of class, gender, or age are encouraged to participate in this process. 

What is the UN Working Group of People of African Descent?
The members of the Working Group are appointed, independent experts from various countries dedicated to improving the human rights situation of people of African descent around the world. One of their mandates is to visit different countries to examine critically the situation of people of African descent in the country, identify problems, and make recommendations for resolution of the problems. There will be 3 experts who will visit and 2 UN staff. For more information about the Working Group,
please check out this link: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Racism/WGAfricanDescent/Pages/WGEPADIndex.asp.

For more information email CooperationJackson@gmail.com. Or visit www.CooperationJackson.org or the following Facebook Pages https://www.facebook.com/CooperationJackson/ or https://www.facebook.com/jacksonhumanrightsinstitute/

The Cooperative Way Vol. 1 Issue 2

Rainbow Co-op Members Collectively Donate to Cooperation Jackson

Cooperation Jackson received a donation from Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative as apart of their Rainbow Roundup. Each month Rainbow features an organization and it's members collectively contribute to the organization and its cause. Rainbow Roundup ask members to simply round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. All the change is collected and given to the organization. Cooperation Jackson thanks Rainbow and its members who rounded up their purchases to support us!