Kali Akuno is a co-founder and co-director of [[https://cooperationjackson.org/|Cooperation Jackson]] co-editor of Jackson Rising: the struggle for economic democracy and black self-determination in Jackson, Mississippi. Kali served as the Director of Special Projects and External Funding in the Mayoral Administration of the late Chokwe Lumumba of Jackson, MS. His focus in this role was supporting cooperative development, the introduction of eco-friendly and carbon reduction methods of operation, and the promotion of human rights and international relations for the city. Cooperation Jackson anchors the [[https://peoplesstrike.org/|People’s Strike]] - a growing coalition of workers, community, and political organizations confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and police violence by struggling against inept and corrupt government and the forces of capital (banks, corporations, brokers, etc). that put profit before the people and the planet.