African American communities have long championed the cooperative movement. Having been oppressed throughout the entire history of the United States, African Americans found access to economic opportunities and the ability to benefit the common good of their communities through the formation of cooperatives.
Throughout the United States, one can find cooperatives in most communities. Credit unions, food cooperatives, agricultural/farmer cooperatives, housing cooperatives, energy cooperatives, insurance cooperatives, retail cooperatives… the list goes on. In all of these, the organization is owned by its members. Membership types vary in different cooperatives. Sometimes member-owners are the consumers, such as in credit unions and housing cooperatives. Sometimes they are the workers, like in many consulting or brewing cooperatives. Members can also be investors, organizations (instead of individuals), and a mix of all of the above.