African American Grocery Cooperatives in Virginia
Courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
Discrimination in white owned stores had been the impetus for starting African American cooperative grocery stores at the end of the 19th century. African Americans created one of the first in Keysville, Virginia in 1889 under the name of Wilson and Company. The same cooperation opened a second store in 1896 in Evington, Virginia and a third store in 1899 in another unspecified Virginia, town. The second store succeeded because its leader created a distinct store and created a successful buying system that calculated the best store to stock and sell products. It also succeeded because a unity existed between the cooperatives and its customers. Collectively the stores did $18,000 in sales between 1899 in 1900. Different from Wilson and Company, a cooperative operative in Richmond, Virginia under the name The Student’s Tea Company. It had 150 stockholders and stores in Petersburg and Farmville, Virginia. The cooperative specialized in teas, coffees, extracts, and spices. It did $10,000 in business between 1906 in 1907 and reported earnings of $2000..
