By Annie Hoy, Board Secretary and Chair of Owner Engagement Committee

Food Co-ops around the nation proudly display signage saying EVERYONE WELCOME. Or they use the slogan, “Anyone can shop. Anyone can join.” But are food co-ops, and other cooperative businesses, walking the walk? 

The double calamity of a pandemic and civil unrest has helped cooperatives in every economic sector see inequities more clearly. They have become a central focus of entire conferences, both internationally and in the food co-op sector specifically. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in relation to the co-op movement is under review and committees have formed in credit unions, housing co-ops, worker co-ops, platform co-ops and of course, food co-ops. It can be uncomfortable work. But getting to liberation is uncomfortable, as many of our brothers and sisters of color have known for centuries. 

The co-op movement’s statement of purpose says that co-ops are jointly owned by the people who use their services. There are universal people-centered principles like concern for community, autonomy and independence. Co-ops are democratically controlled, and guided by values like democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, as well as self-help and self-responsibility. But if you graded co-ops on diversity, equity and inclusion, you might find that the movement has an uncomfortable problem. 

Jessica Gordon Nembhard, in her keynote address at October’s international Co-op IMPACT conference, began her speech with a mythbusting question: Co-ops can’t be racist, right? She then noted the small number of black, brown and indigenous bodies in the room. She described how co-op development materials never mention the rich history of black or indigenous co-ops across time. She challenged us to recognize the ways we might perpetuate institutional racism, or what we do if we see racist microagressions and exclusion in our co-ops. She urged co-op leaders to rely on Principle 6, Cooperation among Cooperatives, to create a solidarity economy that practices social justice, no matter what sector of the co-op economy you represent. 

In the food co-op sector, and at Ashland Food Co-op, we are engaging in conversations about what community means and who is part of that community. Is everybody really welcome? And if not, how can we address that?