Black Liberation and Cooperativism
Black Liberation and Cooperativism
BLACspace Cooperative is a hub for a thriving
Black arts and culture ecosystem in Oakland.
1. “Free Huey Rally Bobby Hutton Park, Aug 25, 1968” photo by RMBaruch;
2. “2024 Malcolm X Jazz Fest Eastside” photo by Joyce Xi. Courtesy of CARP / Community Archival Resource Project at EastSide Arts Alliance
BLACspace is about building a sustainable, self-governed network of support for Black artists and organizations that moves beyond the traditional nonprofit model.
We connect and sustain a member network of Black-led spaces through mutual aid, community-centered business coaching, and amplifying stories.
By holding space to heal and build shared power, we strengthen our roots.
People & Systems
Building legacy teams and strengthening organizational infrastructure through coaching, consultant matchmaking and staffing support.
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Mutual Aid
Facilitating members to share offers and resources to meet one anothers' needs.
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Storytelling
Amplifying members reach by integrating your content into BLACspace digital marketing channels, boosting visibility and operations.
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Funding
Working together to share money and resources, so everyone gets what they need, and learning as one group to find more ways to support each other.
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Space
Uniting BLACspace members, partners, and space-holders to acquire, share, and steward spaces that strengthen the roots of Black arts and culture in Oakland.
Esther's Orbit Room 1987 courtesy AAMLO & CARP / Community Archival Resource Project at EastSide Arts Alliance
“We are here to say that we want to stay in Oakland. We deserve to stay in Oakland. We want to make it as a Black presence.”
– Carolyn Johnson, BLACspace Co-Founder
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BLACspace is a dedicated cooperative that supports Black arts and culture organizations in Oakland, helping them thrive through community-centered consulting, coaching, and a strong mutual aid network.
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Any Black-led arts or cultural organization rooted in Oakland and aligned with BLACspace’s mission and values is welcome to apply for membership.
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Members gain access to year-long coaching pods, wellness assessments, workshops, and a broad network of culturally aligned partners. Members also participate in BLACspace events and have a say in cooperative governance after a year of active membership.
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Mutual aid is at the cornerstone of everything we do at BLACspace. Organizational members share knowledge and resources, all while staying true to BLACspace’s values of cooperation, accountability, and transformative justice.
Members get wellness assessments, focused small group coaching, and matchmaking with culturally aligned and competent partners, along with access to valuable resources and inspiring events.
After a year of active participation, members gain governance rights, allowing them to help shape decisions around board selection, member policies, and more! Ultimately, this membership helps organizations strengthen their internal infrastructure while building a strong, collaborative network of Black-led, Oakland-rooted groups holding cultural space.
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Unlike traditional consulting, BLACspace merges business expertise with cultural permanence and community trust. We focus on the holistic needs of our community and emphasize cooperation, accountability, and transformative justice.
We don’t just focus on the back-end operation of organizations. We champion the holistic needs of our community by inviting Black arts and culture entities into our Mutual Aid Membership, where they can connect, share, and access resources within our expansive ecosystem.
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Cultural reforestation means helping Black arts and culture grow and flourish in Oakland by nurturing the people, spaces, and stories that form the cultural roots of our community. Through this, we work to restore and maintain a thriving, Black-centered cultural ecosystem.
BLAC
FAQs
“Reading at Bobby Hutton Park” photo by Howard L. Bingham. Courtesy of CARP / Community Archival Resource Project at EastSide Arts Alliance