A MESSAGE FROM CYNTHIA PINCHBACK-HINES, RACIAL JUSTICE EDUCATOR & CO-OP DEVELOPER FOR CO-OP CINCY
Jessica Gordon-Nembhard with Cynthia Pinchback-Hines at the Black Cooperative Agenda conference in Las Vegas
Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, acclaimed author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, was honored at the 2nd annual conference on the Black Cooperative Agenda.
Jessica is widely acknowledged for initiating the fourth wave of the Black economic movement. The first wave occurred in the Reconstruction Era, followed by the second wave during the post Jim Crow period, and the third after the civil rights movement. Each wave met with oppressive measures in response to Black economic and social progress. The current, fourth wave started in the post Obama era.
Organized by Ron Hanz and staff of the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC), the recent Black Cooperative Agenda conference took place in Las Vegas in early June. Distinguished speakers from across the Black cooperative spectrum shared their insights and experiences on conference topics centered on “Advancing Black Cooperative Economies Through Liberatory Practices.”
Co-op Dayton’s Amaha Sellassee, who participated in the panel discussion “Developing Cooperative Grocery Markets Within Underserved Neighborhoods,” expressed his enthusiasm for the event, describing it as “super powerful.” Amaha noted the intergenerational engagement of attendees and remarked, “The elders like to see the energy of the youngsters. Our history provides context for our present.”
Mona Jenkins, Cooperative Food Justice Coordinator for Co-op Cincy and Co-Founder of Queen Mother’s Market and Calabash Distribution, served as a panelist for the session on “Propelling Black Political Power.” She and Kathi Thomas Gibson, Executive Director of the Las Vegas Department of Neighborhood Services, presented a compelling argument emphasizing the importance of understanding the political landscape while fostering community and solidarity. Their aim is to prevent displacement through gentrification or other means detrimental to the African American community.
Mona commended the NDCC for establishing the National Association of Black Cooperators, an ecosystem of Black cooperators dedicated to reinvesting in the African American community. Mona also expressed hope that reinvestment would encompass healing, stating, “We need to heal because we try to bury trauma we’ve experienced. It will fester if we don’t address it.”
The conference underscored the significance of self-determination and sovereignty for the Black community.
