Cooperation, not division
Shared Capital Cooperative, a St. Paul-based CDFI loan fund that connects co-ops and capital to build economic democracy, joined fellow cooperators in recent solidarity actions.
Credit unions are also speaking out. Writing for CU Insight, Mara Humphrey, president and CEO of the Minnesota Credit Union Network, said “cooperation, not division” is the path to strong communities that endure. Credit unions “exist to serve people across all backgrounds, beliefs and lived experiences”—a role that “doesn’t disappear when circumstances become uncomfortable or complicated.”
Unified action
One visible expression of this cross-sector solidarity came Friday, January 23, when many Minnesotan cooperatives joined their neighbors and other businesses in a statewide economic blackout called ICE Out of Minnesota: A Day of Truth and Freedom.
“As a cooperative, we believe our shared labor, time and economic participation are powerful tools,” Mississippi Market Co-op said in a LinkedIn post. “Along with communities across Minnesota, we are taking unified action with no work, no school and no shopping to show we will not quietly endure fear and violence in our communities.”
The post, which tagged Eastside Food Co-op, Wedge Community Co-ops, Seward Community Co-op and River Market Community Co-op, continued: “This coordinated statewide pause reflects our commitment to democratic action, mutual responsibility, and concern for our communities. Acting together is one way we live our cooperative values.” Co-op staff scheduled to work on January 23 were paid.
Some food co-ops struggled with the decision to close on Friday, weighing their responsibility to provide food with the need for solidarity. “Our neighbors rely on us for food… But we’re also part of a community that is hurting and wants to stand up to injustice,” Lakewinds Food Co-op said in an Instagram post.
Wedge Community Co-op echoed that sentiment. “Our community is hurting. We are sad, angry and deeply unsettled by the raids happening across the Twin Cities. As co-ops, we believe in showing up for one another, and when our neighbors are under threat, we act together.”
Concern for community was a throughline in all the posts.
“Our decision is grounded in the seventh cooperative principle: concern for community,” Just Food Co-ops wrote on Instagram. “A cooperative thrives when its members, workers and neighbors feel safe and supported. By closing our doors for the day, we are affirming that people and community care come before profit.”
Just Food Co-ops also noted that, as a food co-op, “many of the individuals who grow, harvest and process the food on our shelves are immigrant workers. Standing with them reflects our commitment to a food system that is sustainable, equitable and inclusive. Food for all depends on communities where people can live and work with dignity.”
Mobilizing resources
Garlic and Roses, a worker co-op dedicated to food co-op news, published a statement from National Co+op Grocers on January 22. “We stand in solidarity with Twin Cities’ co-ops and communities across Minnesota,” NCG, a business services cooperative for food co-ops nationwide, said, adding that they were supportive of staff who chose to take January 23 off “for civic participation or care for their well-being.”
One program that NCG’s member co-ops participate in is Round Up at the register. At Seward Co-op, Round Up dollars are supporting the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. Wedge Community Co-ops’ Change Matters partner this month is the Legal Rights Center, with customers rounding up their purchases to support community-driven legal defense, education and advocacy. Meanwhile, Minnesotan food co-ops collectively gave $12,500 in direct support to the Advocates for Human Rights.
A call for “focused cooperation”
Cooperators across all sectors are not only demonstrating concern for community in this moment; they’re also acting together, exercising Principle 6, or “cooperation among cooperatives.” Minnesota is home to more than 1,000 cooperatives—more than any other U.S. state. Four of the largest U.S. co-ops are headquartered in Minnesota; the state is also home to 15 of the country’s top 100 ag co-ops.
Many of those larger cooperatives, including Land O’ Lakes, CHS and Health Partners signed an open letter from more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based businesses this week. Released on January 25 by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the letter called for “an immediate deescalation of tensions.”
The letter continued: “In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future.”