Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics.

From Wikipedia: Ujamaa was the concept that formed the basis of Julius Nyerere's social and economic development policies in Tanzania just after it gained independence from Britain in 1961. In 1967, President Nyerere published his development blueprint titled the Arusha Declaration, in which Nyerere pointed out the need for an African model of development and which formed the basis of African socialism. Ujamaa comes from the Swahili word for "extended family" or "familyhood" and is distinguished by several key characteristics, namely that a person becomes a person through the people or community. For Nyerere, an African "extended family" means that every individual is in the service of the community. Thus, Ujamaa is characterized by a community where co-operation and collective advancement are the rationale of every individual's existence. According to Ujamaa, personal acquisitiveness is prohibited, thus allowing the distribution of wealth through society horizontally rather than vertically.

Ujamaa is the 4th principle celebrated during the Kwanzaa holiday. In putting Ujamaa into action, the African American community must realize the importance of supporting businesses that are black-owned and/or in their own community. Our communities at-large are depleting and it's imparative that we recognize the value of recycling our own money.

If you're here in the Atlanta area, there are several ways to serve. Some of my favorites include:

Soul Vegetarian
Cenci
Moods Music
Envy

There are also a ton of black-owned shops in Little Five Points, including Tease, my fav t-shirt boutique. For more info, you can visit this great blog, which informs the African-American consumer and encourages cooperative economics.