| In 2022, The Network for Developing Conscious Communities is rewriting Black cooperative history in the United States with the rebirth of The National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda. The conference theme is "Building Cooperative Capacity Through Conscious Practices" The story behind this conference is the story of The Poor People's Development Foundation (PPDF), a civil rights group founded in the wake of the 1968 Poor People Campaign. The group worked tirelessly on building a national cooperative movement, aimed at bringing together Blacks and poor people for the purposes of building strong cooperative ecosystems throughout the United States. In later years, the PPDF would work to ensure congressional chartering of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank, which later changed its name to the National Cooperative Bank. Why should you attend this conference? As attendees you can expect a variety of training workshops and discussions designed to provide instructions on how to build your cooperative, share strategies on developing a political and advocacy agenda and learn why it's importance to incorporate a cultural consciousness within your cooperative work. Our desire is to encourage every attendee to mobilize against the disproportionate effects of racial and economic injustices. We see this conference as a Moral and Conscious Call To Mobilize A Black Cooperative Movement, a movement born with new leadership and a vision for strengthening Black people, families and communities.
We call upon Black and other cooperatives of all sizes and types – farmers, growers, producers, distributors, financiers, policymakers, and retailers, to come and share on building a new consciousness across the cooperative network.
Here's what a collective community can gain by coming together::
- Strengthen BIPOC economic systems by developing cooperative business skills to support successful ventures
- Create strategic alliances and strengthen relationships between BIPOC cooperatives
- Celebrate successful examples and learn from other cooperatives
There are 15+ training workshops and talks, one catered receptions and plenty of time to meet new people and visit with old friends. We are also happy to announce the Dr. Karama Neal, USDA Administrator Rural Business Cooperative Services, will be the 2022 Keynote Speaker.
Interested in becoming a conference sponsor? Please refer this sponsorship packet for additional information about sponsorship opportunities. Inquiries can be sent via email to [email protected]
Please consider supporting the National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda through a donation. Donations will be used to defray the cost of registration fees for those who may not otherwise be able to attend.
We thank you for joining us and look forward to meaningful and fruitful deliberations. Consciously yours, Ron Hantz, Founder and Executive Director |
