As we prepare to celebrate Kwanzaa, Everything Co-op has dedicated Thursday’s show to focusing on Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), the principle for that day. Vernon interviews Ron Hantz, Executive Director of Network for Developing Conscious Communities. Ron will share information about his upcoming webinar series, Conversations on Black Cooperative Development, upcoming events, and the way in which the Kwanzaa principles are reflected in the cooperative business model.
Ron Hantz has been instrumental in advocating a new community development paradigm based on “conscious community development” He is a former Adjunct Professor, in the Africana Studies Department, at the University Maryland Baltimore County, and founded the Network for Developing Conscious Communities (NDCC) in 2014. He now leads the organization’s efforts on advocacy and building a sustainable ecosystem for Black governed community development organizations. Under his leadership, NDCC has emerged as a grass roots voice on promoting the use of principle-based practices to regenerate under-resourced Black communities.
The Network for Developing Conscious Communities was founded 2014 as a 501 © (3) non-profit community development membership organization. Through implementing principles of conscious community development, the organization seeks to build economically cooperative and equitable communities through transparency, inclusiveness and collectivism. NDCC successfully works to improve financial sustainability, encourage business ownership and increase residential real estate ownership in Black neighborhoods.
