Economic Blackout Boycott

If we didn’t see each other mobilized with a common goal, as a common people, what would be of us? We need methods of creating and sustaining hope now more than ever.

Yesterday was the Economic Blackout and many of my fellow US Americans participated. It was widespread in and outside of social media. People talked about it in their living rooms and prepared for it to take place in it. It was a moment of movement that we have not seen probably since the Black Lives Matter marches. I was very inspired by my wife taking part in it and feeling pumped up. Usually I’m the one who is in the loop about political demonstrations and get ready to roll. Her beating me to it had me fired up. The Blackout has now transformed into something bigger than a few online conversations and the boycott of one day. The Blackout is now expanding to more Boycotts and even lifestyle changes that will help us sustain them for longer and longer.

I can definitely keep boycotting Amazon, Target and Walmart for more than a few days. I have started to create different shopping habits and decisions to avoid them all together. I can imagine a life where my values shift and I start to reprioritize keeping money, saving money and creating sustainable communities. Will I never need products from these places? I’m never going to say never because you never know when your only shopping option is again one of those big three. You may be traveling or have an emergency where this is the only option. However, I feel like there is a shift when you make something the last possible option versus the default option. I would need to rethink habits but with motivation and planning anything can be possible. I feel if I continue to be connected to the community and being plugged in ongoing boycotting will be possible for me. It may be that I need to see the people involved in my communities more often and talk to them in real time. Most of my people who are invested are in Upstate NY so I will make more of an effort to travel and see them, especially this spring. However, I also want to start gentle conversations with all my loved ones about how I’m changing my spending habits.

I do have the privilege of having a car that can take me to local options, but when I need to take public transportation, I would have to plan out how to navigate getting to the more local options. I would have to map out the small businesses. For example, one thing I will definitely do is change my route to work to not have my default coffee stop as Starbucks.

I feel that inaction is actually more accessible to us than action. Boycotting these stores is more of a basic task in the political movement than we may think, if we really plan it out. This is something we really have to embrace. We can keep boycotting by having a variety of conversations online and offline. By feeling in community with people in action.

During this Boycott I have also learned that we need to pay attention to who is leading in the front and what can be the vulnerabilities for people looking for leadership. John Schwarz and the People’s Union have a problematic history as per the New York Times. He is also presenting problematic tendencies regarding transparency and organizing. We can not let this type of leadership be the face of the Boycott movement.

But we have to keep boycotting - and since large scale political meetings and organizing are not as accessible to me at this moment - nurturing my loved ones who are doing political movement is what I can do. Nurturing is accessible to me. Preparing meals, sandwiches and water bottles if there are marches. Giving them a place to rest and encouragement. Even these little actions can go a long way to help people feel in community as they take on tasks. I especially wish to keep supporting my wife as she dips into more participation and through her look forward to when I can do more of my own participating and organizing.

And I hope that what I just wrote encourages people to do what they can. In essence, here are very accessible steps you can take.

1. Question your pleasure in fast food. How did it start? What is this relationship about? Is it about cost, convenience or habit?

2. Question your pleasure and relationship with these stores? How did they start? What is the relationship about? Is it about cost, convenience or habit? Can you look at other options to create new avenues of convenience or a new relationship with a different type of business?

3. Reflect on your relationship to consumption. Is it a habit or a real need? Does it give you pleasure? Can you recreate this pleasure elsewhere? Do you have the means to create a community where some resources are shared?

4. Research sustainable living.

5. Look for the local businesses in your area, map them out. Create traveling routes to access them.

6. If you can march and organize, then march and organize. If you can participate in movement building then do it. If you can’t, then do house meetings with your friends and families to have these conversations on how we spend our money and how we can support each other to make the Boycotting steps sustainable.

I hope I can hear from many people who participated yesterday and plan to continue. How was your experience and what do you plan to do next?