Jimmy Carter and Coops
Courtesy of Brooklyn History Center
In 1979 President Jimmy Carter signed into law the National Consumer Cooperative Bank Act. It allocated $52 million to a federal run bank, 10 million and technical assistance, and additional funds for self-help development. Unfortunately, too often those in need of the benefits of cooperatives have not had their consciousness awakened about them. The East used articles in Black News to educate residents about how cooperatives worked:
“Cooperative buying enables you to 1) save money, 2) select the foods of your choice, 3) cater to our ethnic needs, 3) become more involved and informed as to what your hard-earned dollars are being used for and 5) unify and strengthen the communities in which we live.”
The article went on to explain, cooperatives form around the community’s needs and economic independence. Cooperatives are an example of ujamaa or cooperative economics. In 1979, the East opened a cooperative grocery store called the Uhuru Food Cooperative, Inc., at 1107 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. It became a place where community members could shop with dignity. It sold nutrient rich groceries at responsible price, products like fresh produce, nuts, beans, seeds, honey, multigrain cereals and breads, low-sodium products, brown rice, dried fruits, herbal teas, olive oil, and nut butters. It also sold a variety of cooking seasonings and baking staples associated with people of African descent. The stores staff educated consumers about healthy ways to shop, cook, and bake. Uhuru Food Cooperative provided a strategy for residents to keep their dollars in their communities.[1]
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[1] Black News, July 1979
