by Kenny Anderson
Mutual assistance and self-help have been cornerstones of the African American community historically, W E. B. Du Bois called them "the first wavering step of a people toward organized social life."
The development of mutual aid societies were the result of material necessity under slavery; they represented an organized desire for freedom and self-determination.
The development of mutual aid societies were the result of material necessity under slavery; they represented an organized desire for freedom and self-determination.
Some believe that Black Mutual Aid Societies were also influenced by African retentions of the West African concept of ‘Sou-Sou’ derived from the Yoruba word ‘Esusu’ which means a cooperative mutual arrangement. During slavery the ‘Underground Railroad’ was an abolitionalist Mutual Aid Society model for Black freedom.
After slavery Mutual Aid Societies sought to promote education and job training, especially for newly arrived African Americans, freemen and fugitive slaves. The earliest mutual assistance societies among free blacks provided a form of health and life insurance for their members - care of the sick, burials for the dead, and support for widows and orphans.
Blacks took pride in being self-reliant through Mutual Aid Societies; they understood clearly they could not rely on whites for aid including the American government; they clearly understood the Southern white motto of "Nigger root, hog, or die a poor pig."
Through monthly membership dues, mutual aid societies dispensed sick benefits and funeral benefits while also serving as a network for jobs and businesses. Such groups promoted African-American political interests by supporting each other financially while constructing a sense of kinship.
Through monthly membership dues, mutual aid societies dispensed sick benefits and funeral benefits while also serving as a network for jobs and businesses. Such groups promoted African-American political interests by supporting each other financially while constructing a sense of kinship.
Affinity groups are simple; they are a vehicle for progressive Black people to do things together to advance self-determination. Things like organizing around specific issues, reading and discussing texts, building block-clubs, engaging in a demonstration, planning Black History Month or Kwanza activities, learning a skill together, or working on a publication.
The basic formula for Affinity Groups is talking and engaging with your like-minded folks; survey the particular situations you’re in and take action or form projects that are timely and relevant to your group. ‘Affinity’ means closeness, those who form an affinity group often already share ideas, strategies, and goals.
An affinity group is an informal convergence of Black people who choose to struggle together, usually consisting of two to ten people; being small in number often allows for faster responses to spontaneous events as they occur.
The uniqueness of each group means that they follow paths of their own choosing, experimenting with actions that are specific to their shared skills and desires without seeking permission from a larger decision-making body.
When coordination is needed on a larger scale, affinity groups strategize and work together. One model for this is the ‘Affinities Coordinating Council’ (ACC) that can be established locally or statewide where affinity groups can converge for discussion, each appointing one person to temporarily represent their group. The ACC is not a decision-making body it's a recommendation entity, so it doesn’t come to any binding conclusions that each affinity group is expected to follow.
Our recommendation for unifying Affinity Groups is the MAALS ‘19 Basic Rules for Black Unity, Survival, and Progress’ that’s spelled-out on the left side of our blog site.
People come together as an affinity group to act, not necessarily to grow the group through recruitment. An affinity group doesn’t even have to be political - they can focus just on Black health issues; they can exist for a long time or form temporarily to accomplish one task or many.
If an Affinity Group weakens people can leave the group or choose to dissolve it altogether. There are no membership lists, and the organization of the group can be minimal.
If an Affinity Group weakens people can leave the group or choose to dissolve it altogether. There are no membership lists, and the organization of the group can be minimal.
If you are newly interested in Black self-determination or experienced and live in the state of Michigan MAALS encourages you to initiate an Affinity Group to address issues in your local area.
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