2026 Ujima Cafe Season

Ujima Cafe is defrosting and better than ever this season! It’s a space where community members can connect, relax, and engage with Ujima’s work in a casual setting. Held twice a month throughout the spring, summer, and fall, we blend office hours with a laid-back hangout vibe, offering free coffee, snacks, and curated menus. 

April 30: Ujima Cafe x Publications Member Team | RSVP

Join us for the return of the Ujima Cafe season at justBook-ish. Part social hour, part open office, we host these gatherings in collaboration with business and community members. To kick off the season, Ujima’s very own Publications team will be co-hosting and we will have a special live timebank feature. 

If you’ve ever been curious about the work of the publications team or about timebanks, come through! Or if you just want to check out a great bookstore, this is the place for you!

May 14: Ujima Cafe x Anchor Institution Member Team | RSVP

Join us for Ujima Cafe at Nubian Markets. Part social hour, part open office, we host these gatherings in collaboration with business and community members. 

In this edition of Ujima Cafe, we will be collaborating with Ujima’s Anchor Institution team to hold space for community building and fun! If you are interested in faith organizing or building power in anchor institutions, come through!

May 28: Ujima Cafe x Coalitions, Policy & Grassroots Organizing | RSVP

Join us for Ujima Cafe at Nubian Markets. Part social hour, part open office, we host these gatherings in collaboration with business and community members.

In this edition of Ujima Cafe, we will be co-hosting with Ujima’s Coalition, Policy and Grassroots Organizing team to hold space for community building and fun! If you are interested in building community power, come through! 

June 25: Ujima Cafe x Boston Center for Community Ownership | RSVP

Join us for Ujima Cafe at Nubian Markets. Part social hour, part open office, we host these gatherings in collaboration with business and community members.

In this edition of Ujima Cafe, we will be joined with the Boston Center for Community Ownership! In this clean energy edition, we especially invite general contractors, construction and trades professionals, electricians, HVAC technicians, and environmental justice advocates to build community and gain insight into cooperative economics. 

About Collaborators:

JustBook-ish is a literary gathering space that provides programming and events for creative communities in Dorchester. Culturally curated, radically influenced, and locally inspired, justBook-ish seeks to shift the narrative in the publishing world by housing a collection of books by writers whose work often challenges political paradigms. Partnering with numerous organizations and artists, it offers a centralized hub and networking space in a cozy and comfortable book-cafe setting. In addition to philanthropic support, revenue from books and beverages will help to offset the cost of operations and programming.

Nubian Markets is more than just a market. It’s a model and an embodiment of the African history that is so deeply rooted within the soils of this nation, and in Nubian Square. Nubian Markets is Roxbury’s only market, cafe, and gathering space that celebrates the African diaspora through food. They joined the Ujima Good Business Alliance in fall of 2025.

Fresh Food Generation is a restaurant, food truck and catering company. We combine New England ingredients with bold Caribbean and Southern flavors to create a meal that’s enticing and fresh. All of our marinades and dressings are made in house without additives or preservatives. We do our best to source our produce and meats from small regional family farms. They joined the Ujima Good Business Alliance in summer of 2022.

Boston Center for Community Ownership is a worker, self-directed non-profit co-op development center rooted in community organizing. They provide organizing support in English and Spanish for startup co-ops and co-op conversions, as well as ongoing training and technical assistance for existing cooperatives. They believe in a worker-led approach to cooperatives and community economic development. Communities of color and working class communities provide the organizing strength to.

Publications Member Team supports the creation of digital and print media that tell new stories about how power is created and shared through culture, full participation, and economic democracy. Our approach to publishing materializes as a commitment to making liberatory thought engaging and accessible. Ujima Press serves as one of several entry points for the broader public to discover and participate in the solidarity economy and economic democracy. 

Anchor Institution Member Team consists of Ujima members and solidarity members with the primary objective of supporting  the Ujima ecosystem by organizing institutions in Greater Boston, focusing on universities, hospitals, and faith-based organizations, to actively support Ujima’s mission.

Coalitions, Policy & Grassroots Organizing (CPGO) member team is a collaborative initiative committed to actively participating in existing coalitions, prioritizing issues such as community safety, economic and environmental justice, and adopting a multigenerational approach.