Cooperative principles have been a part of the African American experience since the first Africans arrived in the early 17th century. While African Americans have always utilized cooperation, the first recorded cooperative efforts were mutual aid societies in the late 18th century. African Americans worked together in the face of racism to improve the lives of each other in tangible ways.

Both free and enslaved Black people pooled money to pay for burials, land, helping the sick and orphans, and even buying freedom for one another. Early forms of cooperation ranged from mutual insurance companies to collective farming.

W.E.B. Du Bois encouraged African Americans to use racial solidarity and economic cooperation in the face of discrimination and marginalization. Du Bois focused on a "Black group economy" to insulate Blacks from continued segregation and marginalization. Du Bois promoted economic cooperation to solve America's "color line" issues.

"We unwittingly stand at the crossroads- should we go the way of capitalism and try to become individually rich as capitalists, or should we go the way of cooperatives and economic cooperation where our whole community and we could be rich together?" Du Bois believed that cooperation would provide goods and services and become a blueprint by which communities could be built.

Lumbee River E.M.C. acknowledges the many contributions African Americans have made and are making to our communities. This Black History Month, we celebrate your achievements, heritage, and contributions that make our communities a great place to live.