🌱 Seeds of Solidarity: Ohio Co-op Solidarity Tour Recap
Hello, fellow cooperators! We hope you’re having a great summer so far.
In June, Co-op Columbus joined partners from across the state for the Ohio Co-op Solidarity Tour. In the words of Jonathan Welle from Cleveland Owns, the tour was “a journey to visit co-ops in Ohio that are planting the seeds of an economy that works for all.”
Jonathan captured the experience beautifully in the Cleveland Owns blog:
Over three days, we visited a dozen worker-owned co-ops, two housing co-ops, a community land trust, two Black-led community-based nonprofits, and a food store owned by seven workers and more than 5,000 community members.
It felt like we’d stepped onto the Magic School Bus with Ms. Frizzle – a childhood favorite of mine! – and discovered a hidden world of worker power rather than highly paid CEOs, of solidarity rather than exploitation, of community ownership rather than corporate control. (Here's a delightful 1-minute video recap of the tour from Co-op Dayton!)
We left feeling inspired by the like-minded folks we met and energized from planning the Columbus stops!
Here’s more about the Columbus leg of the tour:
The team from Co-op Columbus introduced us to Pattycake Bakery, an awesome worker-owned vegan bakery in Clintonville. Next we visited The Maroon, a theater in Bronzeville formerly known as the Pythian Theater that is today stewarded by the Maroon Arts Group. Designed by and for a Black fraternal organization 100 years ago, the building is a powerful legacy of Black economic power and artistry in Columbus, a history the Maroon Arts Group honors today.
Co-op Columbus and Black Men Build shared their work, and Prerna and I shared more about the solidarity economy – what is it, what wisdom inspired it, how do we apply it at Cleveland Owns. Co-op Columbus ended with a clever activity: they asked the presenters to ask questions to the attendees. Soon the room was buzzing with conversation.
