Are you passionate about Black economic justice? Are you involved in a Black-led collective, cooperative, or land trust? Apply to the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship! Together, we will learn and reclaim the history of Black cooperative economics over seven months through co-learning, storytelling, and skill-building. Cohort 8 applications are open through Sept. 8, 11:59 p.m. CT.
How It Works
The North Star curriculum grounds fellows in Black cooperative economic history locally and nationally, challenges them to analyze and rethink capitalism, and supports them in building their own cooperatives, leadership skills, and networks.
As a cohort, fellows explore and receive:
- Black feminist history: Grounding in the history of Black cooperative economics in the US + history of cooperation and Black feminisms
- A power and landscape analysis of Minnesota cooperative and financial institutions
- Cooperative skills and tools, like governance, decision-making structures, and conflict resolution
- Access to alumni funds post-fellowship
- Support in designing and creating a strategy for a cooperative economic project
- A $1,000 stipend for participating in the fellowship
Time Commitment
October 2024 – May 2025
- Saturdays, 10 am – 2 pm, one to two sessions per month
- Black Study Sessions, 5 – 7 p.m., two per cohort year
- Total time: Approximately 85-100 hours, including reflection, co-op work, and research outside of meetings
It is important that our program participants have not only the passion and willingness to join North Star, but also the time and capacity to fully participate. We understand that life can be a lot of things for us, including stressful, traumatic, and isolating. Our staff work hard to cultivate a sacred Black space for cohort members to participate as fully as they can.
