UMA's 2022 Gathering

After two years, 170 Urban Manufacturing Alliance practitioners from every region of the United States gathered for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted in 2020. Perhaps due to the graveness of the last few years; perhaps having experienced the shared trauma of uncertainty multiplied by social uprising; perhaps having lived with broken systems and supply chains; or perhaps all of these things – this is why practitioners were both fired up and filled with gratitude as they met in person at the West Houston Institute in the Westchase neighborhood of Houston, Texas. Or maybe it was just the promise of warm weather, tacos, a local marketplace, and the 145 languages spoken by Houstonians that had folks energized. Whatever the case – people were smiling, present, and deeply engaged.

Our convening – appropriately named a Gathering – is an annual opportunity to learn, share, and connect, now leading into its 10th year. Gatherings are designed to convoke an ecosystem of individuals and organizations who are committed to using manufacturing as a pathway to racial equity and wealth building.

However, with the current alignment of both bipartisan political support and dedicated federal investments being directed at the manufacturing sector, our work at UMA has now taken center stage nationally. And this is critical, because without intentional planning and action, the benefits of these public investments are less likely to reach those who stand to gain the most.

These facts make it even more important for us to re-state that at UMA, we believe equitable, interconnected, and sustainable manufacturing ecosystems will help our nation build economic freedom in under-resourced communities, respond to climate change and sustainability challenges, and create racial and gender economic equality – all of which will make our neighborhoods, cities, and our nation more resilient.

Thus the theme of 2022’s Gathering was Manufacturing Resilience: Ecosystem Strategies for Building Community. The goal of the Gathering was to convene manufacturing practitioners as a national community of action where justice and economic mobility are both centered and framed as synergistic. Whether we are conducting research with partners, doing our storytelling and narrative change work with partners, or hosting 200 partners at a Gathering in West Houston, we are here to collect and share ecosystem strategies for building resilient communities.

As we look to the future of UMA, we are moving towards a model of co-implementation, where we continue to work hand-in-hand with our partners to replicate programs, policies, and initiatives between cities – all driven by community. Your ongoing partnership continues to be the reason we can do our work. We are in awe and have deep gratitude for your ongoing partnership.