Civil Rights Movement
Found Strength in Cooperatives
July, 2002
In the the late 1950's, Ms. Sarah Davis (second from right) began her
lifelong career as an educator in a rural town called Tchula, located in
the Mississippi Delta. She did not grow up in a farming family, but it
became a way of life for her when she married a cotton farmer. Ms. Davis
worked for 33 years in her community as a teacher and principal. With
this deep commitment to her community and family, she has gained incredible
insight on the ways cooperatives and the civil rights movement worked
together for justice for black farmers.
Ms. Davis and her late husband, were active participants in the Mileston Farmers Cooperative, a member organization of Mississippi Association of Cooperatives (MAC). The Mileston Farmers Cooperative organized in the early 1940's when New Deal programs were implemented to help depressed rural areas. Over 100 black families acquired land and resettled in this area during this time. This created a picture of promising opportunity and success for black farmers, but Ms. Davis recalls that they also endured many challenges and inequalities.
A number of farmers owned land, however there were many more who still worked and lived on large plantations with their families. Usually four to five families worked on a single plantation under harsh working and living conditions and were not compensated fairly for their work. As a teacher, Ms. Davis assured me that young children were in good attendance at school, except for occasional Fridays when they stayed home to work. Parents made it clear to the plantation owners that their children were not to miss school for work. They wanted their children to have an education that would lead them to a better life and parents would not compromise this opportunity.
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Founded over 30 years ago, the Mississippi Association of
Cooperatives (MAC) is comprised of 11 local cooperatives, including
farming cooperatives, credit unions, and housing cooperatives. The
association works by advocating for fair policy, raising capital
and allocating money in the form of direct loans. This month's
Small Farm Connection is brought to you by MAC. Enjoy sweet potatoes,
peanuts, and other goods from Indian Springs Farm, a farming
cooperative of MAC. Pictured here are boxes of delicious Mississippi
sweet potatoes ready to ship. |
Ownership of the land and resources was a gateway for plantation owners to control the livelihoods of the farmworkers. It would seem that for those black farmers that did own land they would have much more freedom and be more self-sufficient, yet there were still many obstacles they faced in getting credit for their farm operations along with having access to a limited amount of land. Ms. Davis recollects the farmers were only able to purchase 40 acres of land, but in order to make enough money from their cotton to support their families, farmers needed much more acreage. "Why did the U.S. let this happen? Why didn't we have the same rules for everyone? If a guy wanted to make it, why not let him?"
The Mileston Farmers Cooperative empowered the farmers to work together in their cotton production and play a role in the civil rights movement. In this collective, they had democratic control and independence from the dominant white establishment. There were many successes of the Coop, and according to Ms. Davis, the 1960's were "good times" for farmers. Together, they operated a small store and reached out to farmers in surrounding communities to build strength. "Back then farmers came from 30 miles away." The Coop owned one of the few black-owned cotton gins in the state which gave them the opportunity and advantage to process their crops. Bales of cotton and seeds could be sold directly to the market. As a member organization of MAC, they received technical support for the continued development and management of their coop.
The Mileston Farmers Cooperative Women's Club was started a few years ago by a small group of women members. The Women's Club has expanded into an organization that produces and markets arts and crafts. Co-founder Ms. Davis explains the club is a place to share ideas as well as make crafts. The women work together to create quilts, aprons, napkins, and other crafts, all of which are available at SuperMarketCoop.com. Pictured here wearing the club's aprons are Rural Coalition's Jennifer Woodworth and Heather Fenney. |
Working cooperatively not only eased the economic burden of farming independently. As a collective, black farmers were instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement. Coop members hosted activists that came to Tchula for meetings and to learn about organizing. "They came from all over, I remember a man who came from California. Yes, some from Chicago too," Ms. Davis recalls. Beyond housing the civil rights activists, the farmers went to speak with presidents of banks to demand access to credit for their farm operations and "they weren't afraid." Coop members would also meet secretly with plantation workers to talk to them about leaving the plantations to have a better life for their families.
Over the years, families have moved from Tchula into the cities for better opportunities. Only a handful of farmers have survived in the community. Land has fallen out of the hands of the farmers and over the years Ms. Davis watched the number of children in school dwindle. "Small towns face problems today because they don't have work - that messes up the communities."
Ms. Davis is now retired from teaching but continues to be an active part in her community. She continues to work in the Mileston Farmers Cooperative Women's Club she co-founded and her children and grandchildren are nearby. Her son is now a cotton farmer and her daughter teaches - both of them inheriting their parents' commitment to their community.
