Ujamaa Kwanzaa Cooperative Economics

The fourth principle is Ujamaain Kwanzaa Nomics as I call it.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

While reading this definition, this would seem to be a simple task for people in their communities to accomplish. To understand and see the importance of utilizing community resources to build upon family, finance, and steady growth in one's community. Simply imagine doing all your shopping be it grocery, clothing, appliances, dining, etc all being conducted in your community and those businesses being owned by your neighbors or friend from a block or two over.Imagine having being best friends or aquainted with family business that have been in your community for years. Can you imagine the impact that could have on a people and the community in which they live. I watched a move called Lackawanna Blues that magnifies the beauty of Ujamaa and Cooperative Economics at work.

History shows us us if we care to examine, how having the idea of cooperative economics in place sustains the community and keeps it thriving. Not to mention the value that it place in the community an the and the people in it. I interviewed several family members from age 60 -85, asking them of the old days and business back then. The commonality in each conversation was that all the businesses, dining halls, clubs, and even town bankers existed in their communities. One person explained " We never had to walk no more than a few blocks to get what we needed and we knew everybody we talked to and don done business wit. If we needed credit cause we had no money, if you was good people you had no problem getting a tab and getting what you needed for your family. Now you can't ask people for a glass of water!" After hearing and analyzing several of the accounts, I asked myself what happened and why is things not like that now considering how far we have come in the black community...... I found an answer!!!!!! I will go further into this an introduce what I think happened to our cooperative structure in our communities.