Center for Economic Democracy (CED)

History

Center for Economic Democracy seeks to create economic ecosystems within areas of Boston to re-invest money in minority and left-leaning businesses and infrastructure in the city. ¹ CED was founded in 2012 as the Economic Justice Funding Circle (EJFC) and awarded $500,000 in grants to left-leaning economic and racial justice programs in the Boston-area. ¹ From 2013 through 2015, EJFC launched the Boston Jobs Coalition requiring that construction jobs provide racial and gender hiring practices in the area. ¹

In 2014, EJFC changed its name to Center for Economic Democracy and established a coalition with other groups to form the Solidarity Economic Initiative to promote funding sources and investments in the local economy. ¹ By 2015, CED formed a Solidarity Economic Initiative Fund to fund local economic projects and founded the Boston Ujima Project as a funding source in the Black community. ¹ By 2018 CED hired a full-time staff, funded fellowships, and increased fundraising and grantmaking. ²

Programs

Center for Economic Democracy has stated “a sustainable world of abundance is possible, but not within capitalism” and the organization “advances visions and practices for a just and sustainable world after capitalism.” ³ The organization hosts a podcast called Economics for Emancipation for that advocates abolishing capitalism. ⁴

CED began participating in the Solidarity Economy Initiative (SEI) in 2014 and continues working with the group. SEI believes that oppression is rampant, capitalism is imploding, there needs to be an alternative system to capitalism, and wealth redistribution is the desired end goal. ⁵ Other left-leaning group members include the Brazilian Women’s Group, Chinese Progressive Association, Black Economic Justice Institute, Alternatives for Communities and Environment, and City Life Vida Urbana. ⁶ SEI is funded through grant money by left-leaning foundations such as the Hyams Foundation, Solidago Foundation, Christopher Reynolds Foundation, and Josephine and Louise Crane Foundation. ⁷

Center for Economic Democracy has joined the Mass Redistribution Fund asking those who received stimulus checks during the pandemic to redistribute them by contributing to a pooled fund. ⁸ After launching in 2015, CED continues running the Boston Ujima Project with the Black Economic Justice Institute to connect black and other minority communities together to create an economic system with an infrastructure of finances within the communities to circulate wealth and grow its own economy. ¹

CED has a Center on Climate and Ecology Programs and is a founding member of United Frontline Table. ⁹ United Frontline Table states that climate change is driven by wealth inequality, systemic white supremacy, and gender inequality. ¹⁰ It states there must be a move away from conventional fuels and to a feminist economy that repairs the harm capitalism has done to reproductive labor. ¹⁰ United Front Table praises the Green New Deal but states it doesn’t go far enough to repair the environment or the history of white supremacy in the U.S. ¹⁰

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

In December 2021, CED was one of more than 100 groups co-signed an open letter opposing the nuclear power production tax credits offered in HR 5376, the House of Representatives draft of the Build Back Better Act. The groups identified nuclear power as a one of several “unproven and unnecessary technologies” and “harmful energy sources” that “would extend demand for fossil fuels.” ¹¹

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 20 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. ¹²  An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. ¹³

Finances

Center for Economic Democracy has total assets of $9,063,197. ¹⁴ According to the organization’s tax returns from 2020, the CED recorded $6,158,264 in revenue and $3,394,024 in expenses. ¹⁴ In 2019, Center for Economic Democracy had $3,287,837 in revenue and $1,419,174 in expenses. ¹⁵

In 2020, CED paid over $1.8 million in grant money. ¹⁴ Grant recipients included Community Labor United, Ayni Institute, Livelihoods Knowledge, Social Good Fund, Center for Labor Education and Research, Arise for Social Justice, Asian American Resources Workshop, Emerald Cities Collaborative, Haymarket People’s Fund, Muslim Justice League, New Economy Coalition, and Sustainable Economies Law Center. ¹⁴

Leadership

Aaron Tanaka is the executive director and co-founder of Center for Economic Democracy since its inception in 2013. ¹⁶ During this time he has been a consultant on anti-oppression training. ¹⁶ Tanaka has stated “patriarchy + slavery + colonialism = racial capitalism = neo feudalism.” ¹⁷ Tanaka has stated there is a fight of capitalism vs. democracy and seeks to advance alternatives to capitalist economics in the U.S. ¹⁷

From 2005-2012, he was founder and executive director of Boston Workers Alliance. ¹⁶ In 2005-2006, Tanaka was an organizing fellow with Healthy Environment Leadership Project which fought against toxic household cleaning products and called for stronger environmental regulations. ¹⁶ During this time he was also on the staff of Fund the Dream, an anti-war coalition led by “radical City Councilor Chuck Turner.” ¹⁶ Tanaka has a B.A. in social studies from Harvard University and M.A. in community economic development from Southern New Hampshire University. ¹⁶