Onyx Collective was founded in June 2024 to provide Black people in rural Minnesota opportunities for wholeness, and healing. We exist to ensure that Black rural Minnesotans are socially connected, economically interdependent, and wholly well. We gather, learn together, and practice cooperation so that we all thrive.
From quiet One-to-One conversations about isolation, disconnection,
and living in a cultural desert,
to a community survey exploring belonging,
to a listening session that held our stories with care,
we began weaving.
In 2024, we rooted.
In 2025, we sprouted.
For 2026, we spruce.
Through each moment and with every contact, we have grown and evolved
cultivating a connected network where Black rural Minnesotans experience
cultural belonging, primary and secondary joy, and rest.
Onyx Collective is grounding, rooting, activating, and building,
leading to a community that listens, responds, uplifts, and thrives together.
By expanding cultural connections, economic vitality, and wholeness,
Onyx Collective has become a cultural oasis
for member-participants pursuing community, connection,
and freedom.
Onyx Collective was founded in June 2024 to provide Black people living, learning, working, and playing in rural Minnesota with opportunities for wholeness and healing. We are moving with justness and fairness towards an inclusive society, where all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. We do this in a culturally responsive manner by offering: 1) Fellowship and friendly association with people who share our interests, 2) Education through experiences, and 3) Support and assistance.
We are committed to seeking input and learning to understand what is necessary to enable broad access to wholeness and healing in community. The 2024 Safety and Belonging Study suggests that one way to minimize the harmful impact of anti-Black racism is to reduce the potential for negative encounters by starting and successfully operating small businesses. We are activating this insight by deploying principles of cooperative economics, networks of support, and individual talents to reduce isolation and increase financial independence for Black folks in West Central Minnesota.
Onyx Collective is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.