Daring to Conceptualize the Black Social Economy

Abstract

All of the cases under study—from Latin American and the Caribbean, as well as North America—have horrific legacies of enslavement, colonization, and racism, and the cases will be used to discuss how Black people have contributed to the social amelioration of their communities through social-purpose businesses, which strive to reach both social and economic objectives. The Black social economy is taking place all over the Americas and is proving to be a viable alternative to extreme forms of capitalism. Brazil, with one of the largest Black diaspora populations in the world, has the legacy of Quilombos (cooperatives run by Afro-Brazilians) to retain their African cultural heritage and to have sustainable economic livelihoods. Caribbean women in Jamaica, Haiti, Guyana, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago organize economic cooperatives to support businesses and local projects. In Latin America, the experiences of Afro-Argentines and Afro-Colombians are lesser known cases but nonetheless have a rich history of cultivating community economies to preserve their own culture in the face of business and social exclusion. The story would not be complete without the study of the Black diaspora in the USA and Canada who encounter many forms of violence in the society. African-Americans have always had mutual-aid societies as a way to cope in a hostile environment. In Canada, newcomers from Africa and the Caribbean hold onto informal money collectives as a way to preserve their heritage and to deal with business exclusion. As explained, this work contributes to the global conversation on alternative social practices that empower traditionally marginalized social groups.