Howie Hawkins and Kali Akuno discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on national politics, on working-class communities and on mutual aid organizing.

Howie Hawkins is a long time union organizer, community activist, and candidate for the 2020 presidential nomination for the Green Party of the US.

Cooperation Jackson Executive Director, Kali Akuno, interviewed by Firoze Manji of Daraja Press about how Jackson, the state of Mississippi are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The call also focuses on things that left forces can and should do to confront COVID-19 to not only survive the pandemic, but to transform society in the process of addressing this threat. The interview was conducted on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

The Cooperative Way is a periodic publication of Cooperation Jackson. This is the Fifth year of the publication and the first for 2020. This issue primarily focuses on redeveloping the Ida B. Wells Plaza and our upcoming events with radical Economics Professor, Richard D. Wolff.

A Panel Discussion: "Our industrial model of growing and consuming food is contributing to both climate change and social inequity. Put simply: industrial capitalism is undermining our ability to build sustainable food systems for all. "In this panel discussion, organizer, educator, and writer, Kali Akuno, will share his experiences leading Cooperation Jackson, an emerging network of worker cooperatives and supporting institutions. Akuno and Cooperation Jackson are fighting to create economic democracy by creating a vibrant solidarity economy in Jackson, MS that will help transform Mississippi and the South. We will then hear from local voices, including Leticia Deawuo of Black Creek Community Farm and Adabu Brownhill Jefwa with the National Farmers Union. "Many rightfully argue that alternative economies—including alternative food networks—continue to benefit middle class white folks, while further marginalizing communities of colour and low-income folks. In this panel, we ask: What alternative economic models can we point to, and to what extent can these models help achieve food, racial and climate justice together? To what extent can alternative economic models work for everyone, and how can they more meaningfully prioritize racially and economically marginalized folks?" Recorded at York University, February 25, 2020.

Coverage by local news station WLBT Channel 3 of our efforts to address the departure of Dollar General from the Ida B. Wells Plaza, how the departure creates more food insecurity in our community and what Cooperation Jackson is planning on doing about it.

The coverage touches on our plans to create a cooperative grocery store at the plaza in partnership with Jackson Cash and Carry, and to create and aquaponic/hydroponic produce and fish producing operation at the plaza to create some food security in the community.

The next Ida B Wells Plaza and Community Land Trust Meeting will be Tuesday, March 24th at 6 pm at the Balagoon Center 939 W. Capitol Street, Jackson, MS.

Listen to Cooperation Jackson's Outreach and Base Building Team, Shamb'e Jones and Joshua Dedmond, on WMPR 90.1 radio Wednesday, February 19 on the Respect Our Black Dollars Radio Show.

The Outreach Team discussed the Emergency Community Meeting we are holding on. Thursday, February 27th to share our thoughts on how to redevelop the Ida B. Wells Plaza and our work with Cash and Carry to end the food dessert in West Jackson.

A review of Jackson Rising by Vincent Almela. Vincent translated Jackson Rising from English into Catalan. The book was translated and published in Catalan in November 2019. It was renamed, "Jackson in Revolt: The Fight for Economic Democracy and Black Self-Determination in the Southern United States," translated by the Language Classroom cooperative and edited by the Invisible City and the publisher Descontrol.

Check the article out in English and Catalan.

Cooperation Jackson solidarity statement in support of the Wet’suwet’en Nation in their struggle for sovereignty, self-determination in defense of humanity and our mother earth and father sky.

Issued Monday, February 17, 2020

Free the Land!!

From Between The Lines by the HuffPost Published on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 In the last few years, “socialist”-leaning policies and politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have become more popular in America. Yet, the word itself has become a slur used by politicians and pundits on both sides of the aisle. So how exactly did “socialism” become a dirty word? The video features of the work of Cooperation Jackson and includes an interivew with Cooperation Jackson founder and executive committee member, Kali Akuno.

Cooperation Jackson fundraiser in New York City at Verso Books in Brooklyn. The fundraiser was held on Monday, December 16th, 2019. The fundraiser featured Cooperation Jackson members Kali Akuno and Joshua Dedmond. The fundraiser was hosted by the Friends of Cooperation Jackson - NYC, Democracy @ Work, and the Center for Critical Thought.

Cooperation Jackson is honored to have “Jackson Rising” included in the Communist Party USA’s “Best Books of the Decade”. Check out the complete list of amazing books on the list.

Scholar Abbey Odunalmi, the host of Live from Live from Field Station 5, conducted a podcast with Cooperation Jackson members brandon king, Imani Olugbala, and Endesha Juakali on Friday, October 25 to discuss the opportunities and challenges with trying to engage in sustainable community development in a mid-size city in the deep south.

Given the existential threats of climate change, economic inequality and ever escalating political instability, we need concrete, integrated solutions to our shared problems. An inspiring model of what such an integrated approach could look like is Jackson, Mississippi’s Cooperation Jackson, an emerging network of worker cooperatives and solidarity economy institutions working to institute a Just Transition Plan to develop a regenerative economy and participatory democracy in that city. brandon king, Founding Member of Cooperation Jackson, shares his experiences helping conceive and build these extraordinarily promising strategies and social structures that reveal that we can put our shoulders to the wheel and build a truly just and sustainable future.  

The speech was given on Sunday, October 20th, 2019.

A critical review of Jackson Rising and We Decide, which asks:

“Can participatory and economic democracy in the US support a Green New Deal? Evan Casper‑Futterman and Jason Spicer review two recent books that assess how radical social and institutional transformation could make a Green New Deal effective, and underscore the challenges that remain.”

Cultural Worker and Rapper Noname, discusses how reading our Jackson Rising book inspired her to start a reading club on the Comedy Central Trevor Noah show in late October 2019.

Good short article about our work. However, we share it with one clarification. We, Cooperation Jackson, were not largely responsible for the election of the current administration in Jackson, many of our members were part of the broad coalition that helped the administration get elected. This is critical for everyone to note and learn from in regards to understanding municipal politics and power.

A new piece on Community Land Trusts and their importance in Mississippi and beyond. One critical thing to note however, our Fannie Lou Hamer Community Land Trust currently has close to 50 lots and several commercial properties, including the Balagoon Center, the Obadele Center, and the Ida B. Wells Plaza. Resource willing we will continue to expand and grow the CLT in the effort to defeat gentrification and displacement encroaching on West Jackson.

Cooperation Jackson is proud to be nominated to part of the Transnational Institutes (TNI) Transformative Cities Award. The final awards will announced in December in the Netherlands.

We do offer a few clarifications as to what is reported in their write up: 1) we are not currently organizing broad people’s assemblies in Jackson, b) we are currently only providing housing at 3 of our land trust units, and c) the construction of our eco-village is going to take several years.

We have made some great strides over the past 5 years, but we still have a long, long way to go to realize our full potential and accomplish all our aims and objectives.

This zoom call was organized by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture and was held on Thursday, August 22, 2019.

Science Facts, Science Fictions

What will happen if we don’t take action on climate change? The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report presents different visions of the future depending on the action and policies that we take. These visions range from an equitable utopia to a fascist dystopia. Join us to learn about the science behind climate change predictions, and to hear stories of creative leaders who imagine with their hands, creating the best case scenarios for a just climate future through their visions and community work. 

Our conversation on how artists and cultural workers can get involved with a Green New Deal continued with Ananda Lee Tan, Demetrius Johnson, Kali Akuno, and Carrie Schneider discussing the visionary roles that BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) and artists play in the movement for climate justice. We were inspired by your enthusiasm, and the steps that you have taken since our last call to inspire your communities towards action.

Checkout this post about rapper, poet, and activist Noname promoting Cooperation Jackson, cooperative enterprise, and the development of the solidarity economy and economic democracy as a transition towards ecosocialism.