On this MLK Day, we honor not just Dr. King’s words, but his strategy building collective power to create a just and livable world for all.
19.01.2026 18:14
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On this MLK Day, we honor not just Dr. King’s words, but his strategy building collective power to create a just and livable world for all.
Cooperatives, unions, and mutual aid networks are modern expressions of the same truth Dr. King taught us: when communities act together, we can reshape the economy itself.
That vision lives on today in the solidarity economy, an economy rooted in cooperation, democratic ownership, mutual aid, and care for people and the planet over profit.
Boycotts, strikes, and collective action were ways to challenge capitalism’s harm and build what Dr. King called the Beloved Community.
A black and white image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is surrounded by rounded shapes. Below is a quote from MLK that reads, "Capitalism has outlived its usefulness".
From the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike, Dr. King and other movement leaders organized people to withdraw their labor, their money, and their participation from systems built on exploitation.
On this MLK Day, we honor not just Dr. King’s words, but his strategy building collective power to create a just and livable world for all.
Cooperatives, unions, and mutual aid networks are modern expressions of the same truth Dr. King taught us: when communities act together, we can reshape the economy itself.
That vision lives on today in the solidarity economy, an economy rooted in cooperation, democratic ownership, mutual aid, and care for people and the planet over profit.
Boycotts, strikes, and collective action were ways to challenge capitalism’s harm and build what Dr. King called the Beloved Community.
Our Program Director, Bianca, and BCI Network Member, The 51st, spoke on panels at the 2025 Cooperative Impact Conference earlier this month. Each shared about how our region’s solidarity economy has national implications.
It's time for another social hour! This is an informal space to build relationships with fellow organizers in the solidarity economy, in hopes of linking our communities and projects together. All are welcome! Join us at Hi-Lawn DC Nov. 6th from 6-9pm!
We’re hiring a Program Manager to help us launch a Guaranteed Income Program that supports working-class families. We’d love to hear from you. We encourage BIPOC, LGBTQ+, working-class, and disabled folks to apply. www.belovedcommunityincubator.org/updates/buil...
🛌✨ Rest is resistance.
We believe that caring for ourselves & our people is essential to the long haul. That’s why our staff will be offline for the month of August to prioritize rest, reflection, & restoration.
We’ll be back in September. Until then, take care of yourselves & each other.
✨ Big news! @Sankofadc is now a worker-owned cooperative 🎉 Join us in celebrating this milestone + welcoming them to the BCI community! 🖤 We'll talk about how Sankofa transitioned into a cooperative and how you can too! RSVP www.eventbrite.com/e/1396643812...
📅 **July 12**
🕕 **6–9PM**
📍 **Sankofa**
You're invited to Community Pitch Night!
Hear from participants in BCI’s Co-op Incubation Program & learn about emerging co-ops.
That pastry in the photo? 🍰👀 Just a tasty sneak peek of one of the co-ops you’ll meet.
July 22nd, 7pm, at the Festival Center. Free to attend! RSVP at the link in bio.
Are you signed up for the Regional Solidarity Economy Round up? Every season we send out an email filled with updates on local cooperatives + collectives, non-extractive funding, & highlights from our & our partners’ work! Sign up:
Wayne is pictured in front of his vending set up holding his MEHK permit — next to him white text on yellow background reads “Leaders of the campaign to pass the new law that decriminalized street vending in 2023, Wayne and Ma Theresa are the first vendors in the city to receive a microenterprise home kitchen permit (MEHK permit)!”
Photo of a sandwich board with Smoke ‘n Munch prices and a photo of MaTheresa wearing a DC hearts Vendors sweatshirt — white text on yellow background reads “Smoke n Munch is available to cater your event!”
Photo of Wayne with a customer that reads “visit them at their new vending site near Alethia Tanner Park!”
Wayne & Ma Theresa are the first vendors in the city to receive a Microenterprise Home Kitchen permit! BCI supported them with the license application process & they were able to buy a food cart with a loan from the BCI License Fund. Visit them at their new vending site near Alethia Tanner Park!
A study using government data finds that if all businesses became 30% employee-owned, the bottom 90% would experience significant gains in wealth, with much of the benefits going to marginalized groups.
If we're serious about addressing wealth inequality, worker ownership must be at the forefront.
UPDATE: Location change
We're looking forward to our next Solidarity Economy Social Hour next week at *Metrobar DC* May 15th. Whether you’re a worker-owner/co-op member, union member, organizer, mutual aid-er, or just curious about what’s going on with the solidarity economy in DC, join us!
Shout out to our local worker-led news outlet @51st.news!
Today we honor the legacy of workers who stood up, spoke out, and organized for dignity, safety, and justice on the job.
Co-ops aren’t just businesses - they’re acts of resistance and visions of what’s possible. Today, we recommit to growing a future where work is just, shared, and values driven.
Worker-owned cooperatives put people and planet over profit. When workers have a real stake in the businesses they run, sustainability becomes a shared priority—not an afterthought.
This Earth Day, we're celebrating the co-ops creating a better world by design. 💪🏾 🌱 💚
Our next Solidarity Economy Social Hour is May 15th from 6-9pm at @kaloramamarket! Whether you’re a worker-owner/co-op member, union member, organizer, mutual aid-er, or just curious about what’s going on with the solidarity economy in DC, join us! The social hour is free, RSVP with the QR code.
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Looking for more #SolidarityEconomy accounts to follow? We’re a proud member of The New Economy Coalition (@us-neweconomy.bsky.social), a US-based network of 150+ solidarity economy organizations!
Looking for ways to get engaged in D.C.? Our weekly Civics Roundup compiles events across D.C., from pop-ups to protests to webinars to public meetings. Find what calls to you!
A democratic society necessitates public and democratic ownership and control over food, transportation, healthcare, water, housing, energy, communication, education, and all of the social institutions we collectively rely on to live with dignity, freedom, and shared prosperity.
We're excited to announce that Kristen is joining us as Director of Membership and Outreach. Kristen is deeply rooted in local DC community organizing efforts. Outside of work, she enjoys the outdoors, playing games, crafting, sports, and reading.
Dupont Coffee Collective, DC’s newest employee-owned and operated coffeeshop + bakery, is open! Stop by and support local workers! Dupont Coffee is open Monday - Saturday 7am-6pm, Sunday 7am-3pm!
Our mini-incubation cohort is HERE!
👥 Who should join?
✔️ Teams of 3+ exploring co-ops
✔️ Owners transitioning to employee ownership
✨ What you’ll get:
✔️ 1:1 coaching
✔️ Financial & business planning
✔️ Funding & management guidance
Limited to 8 groups—apply now!