“Having access to the Co-op Clinic has been incredibly meaningful for us. We want to acknowledge how much we’ve grown through the technical assistance we’ve received.”
Those are USFWC member Black Zócalo Worker Collective’s reflections on the technical assistance they received this year. The Black–Indigenous people of color–led land stewardship cooperative is committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system. The U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) is helping them do that. Through peer advisors, we are providing Black Zócalo and other co-ops led by people of color with co-op development services tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of communities of color.
Co-ops like Black Zócalo are leading a new wave of worker ownership in communities of color, taking on entrenched barriers to community wealth — from the racial wealth gap and gentrification to precarious work and accelerating inequality.
But many Black-led co-ops are isolated, with little local or culturally competent support—and most have no budget for technical assistance. This puts out of their reach the targeted, expert support they need to overcome problems or move into new stages of development.
Last year, the USFWC launched the Peer Advisor Fellowship to expand support for co-ops led by people of color. Ten worker-owners of color joined to deepen their understanding of the cooperative model and how it operates and serves differently in communities of color.
This year, the fellowship transitioned into an apprenticeship and certification program. Working with experienced peer advisors, fellows began offering subsidized or free technical assistance to Black-led co-ops.
Interventions like this that center tailored support have transformed the demographics of worker-ownership. More than half of the U.S.’s worker co-ops today began within the last five years, with more than half of worker-owners identifying as people of color and a super-majority (76%) as women, trans, or gender nonbinary.
Demand for culturally competent support for worker-owners is at an all-time high and growing. We’re responding: In 2024, we increased our technical assistance for Black-led co-ops by 47% —and there’s room to build.
