And Still We Rise: Cooperating Toward a Liberated Future
About Black-Led Day
Black-Led Day began as a necessary and spontaneous moment of solidarity—Black folks, including NBFJA Co-Founder, Baba Malik Yakini (Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network), gathered at the Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference and chose to create space for ourselves within a traditionally white-dominated food space.
The 6th Annual Black-Led Day returns these origins. When we heard long-term partner Food Co-op Initiative would pause this year’s conference for collective reimagining, we faced a decision. Black cooperators ultimately informed the way forward.
Our movement’s need for self-determined safe spaces, the reclamation of cooperative ways of being, and collective strategy to fill gaps and address challenges in Black cooperative development isn’t going anywhere, and neither are we.
Co-hosted by the National Black Food and Justice Alliance and the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, this year’s Black-Led Day grounds itself in the theme, “And Still We Rise: Cooperating Toward a Liberated Future.”
Because we’re still here—rising, self-determining, and building liberated futures.
Baba Malik Yakini speaks at the 5th Annual Black-Led Day at the 2025 Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference in Kalamazoo, MI.
“Courage: Every great movement started as we have started. Do not feel discouraged because in our few months of life we have not rivaled some long established Co-Operative venture. Each successful Co-Operative enterprise has taken much time and energy and sacrifice to establish. Nothing worth accomplishing is every achieved without WORK.” — Ella Baker, 1931 (“Straight Talk,” no. 1 (July 1931), 2 (Young Negroes’ Co-operative League newsletter, New York, NY).
What to Expect at This Year’s Black-Led Day
Working Sessions
Black cooperators attend the 5th Annual Black-Led Day as part of the 2025 Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference in Kalamazoo, MI.
Sharing resources, building leadership, and discussing cooperative economics and land liberation!
Fellowship
Abiodun Henderson of the Diamond Hill Food Co-op chats with Central Brooklyn Food Co-op Co-founder Rae Gomes during happy hour of the 5th Annual Black-Led Day.
Connecting with Black-led food cooperators, farmers, organizers, and food system workers from across the nation!
Keynote Speaker — Gerald Mitchell: Somatics of Money
Financial activist and breathwork practitioner Gerald Mitchell will lead “Intro to Somatics of Money,” an offering that invites us to reimagine and embody a heart-centered relationship to money and resource—one that is grounded in spirit and allows us to collectively live in balance with ourselves, other beings, and the earth.
Gerald Mitchell (he/him) is a financial activist, certified breathwork and Reiki practitioner, and aspiring earth listener. As the creator of Somatics of Money, he seeks to marry his interests and experiences in supporting the inner work of healing and expanding consciousness with the outer work of shifting resources and power to communities for collective liberation.
Explore Recaps, Replays, and Resources from Past Black-led Days
Explore Projects Born from Black-Led Day
About The Co-Hosts
National Black Food and Justice Alliance
The National Black Food & Justice Alliance (NBFJA) is a coalition of Black-led organizations working towards cultivating and advancing Black leadership, building institutions for self-determination, and organizing for food sovereignty and land justice. NBFJA currently has over 50 member organizations representing hundreds of urban and rural farmers, organizers, and land stewards based throughout the U.S. NBFJA members are building power through an intergenerational, urban/rural alliance of organizations that trains, connects, and deepens grassroots efforts toward protecting Black land, advancing food sovereignty, and supporting a climate-resilient future.
After 14 years of dedication, perseverance, and unwavering community support, Detroit's much-anticipated Black-led and community-owned cooperative grocery store opened in May of 2024. The Detroit People’s Food Co-Op is a Black-led and community-owned grocery cooperative. The co-op’s purpose is to provide improved access to healthy food and food education to Detroit residents. Meeting the needs of the community is achieved through the democratic control of the co-op by its member/owners.
