Facing Race: A National Conference in St. Louis, MO — November 20-22, 2024

Danielle Mkali

North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship Director | Nexus Community Partners

Danielle serves as a Program Officer with Nexus Community Partners, focusing on Minneapolis. In addition to supporting community engagement and community wealth building initiatives, Danielle leads the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship. Prior to Nexus, Danielle directed the media justice and community building efforts at Main Street Project and worked as an organizer with the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, where she helped lead youth organizing efforts and was co-founding facilitator of S.P.E.A.C., a community organizing training with Hope Community. Danielle serves on Bright Water Elementary School Board, KRSM Radio Advisory and the Association for Black Economic Power Executive Committee.


Presentations from Facing Race 2018

Black Economic Cooperation Past, Present, and Futures

Reclaim and study the significant Black cooperative economic movement history. Learn how to connect, support, or establish a Black led cooperative initiative in your own community. Understand why cooperatives can create a more democratic, sustainable alternative to more mainstream community development efforts.

Black Cooperative efforts like the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship, a fellowship to support the study of Black Cooperatives and the development of Black led cooperative initiatives and the Village Trust Financial Cooperative, a community owned financial institution are just two examples of current Black cooperative initiatives that are working to develop a more just economy and beautiful community for Black people in Minnesota and nationally. Mkali and Connelly, will provide concrete stories of Black cooperation and how to get involved in this participatory workshop and will share the new North Star Black Cooperative Economic Curriculum.

Since the enslavement of African people there has been a practice of Cooperative Economics. From the Underground railroad, to mutual aid societies, credit unions, and southern farm cooperatives and land trusts to, today’s resurgence of cooperatives and a solidarity economy. Explore Black Cooperative Economic history, its ties to movements for justice, current Black Cooperative initiatives, and contribute to the future of Black Cooperative movements.

What can we learn from our history to innovate our Black Cooperative shared futures? How can local and place based Black cooperative efforts become a national movement for Black economic justice. We will explore investment clubs, housing, worker-owner, and credit union cooperatives.

Speakers: Danielle Mkali, Me'Lea Connelly