A coalition of grassroots organizations are calling for a nationwide economic blackout this Thanksgiving weekend through Cyber Monday.
Organizers are asking people to refrain from online and in-store shopping, except for small, local businesses.
Organizers say consumers have more power than they think. They cite the “Tesla Takedown” protests, which led to slumping Tesla sales, and the Disney boycott after ABC (owned by Disney) suspended Jimmy Kimmel from his show in September. Three million subscribers cancelled Disney+, and 4.1 million subscribers cancelled Hulu (also owned by Disney). As a result, Kimmel was back on the air in five days.
Joy-Ann Reid (formerly of MSNBC and now on Substack and YouTube) said in an Instagram video, “Dear retailers who have decided you don’t like DEI or you really love ICE and you have no problem with them busting into your establishments to drag people away. Here’s the thing: we ain’t buyin’ it. I mean for real, we ain’t buying it.”
Political historian Heather Cox Richardson says she is struck by how much this situation harkens back to the 1890s. In that era too, consumers organized, using their buying power to affect politics.
Reid says, “We’re gonna spend our money with businesses who respect our dollars, respect our communities, and respect our diversity, equity and inclusion. Let’s show them our power. Let’s show them what we can do together.”
So this holiday weekend, send a message! Spend wisely and shop small!
Take Action
- Shop small! Avoid mass retailers this holiday weekend.
