Efforts to encourage our consumers to join the day of protest by not spending money on Friday have regained momentum online. Thousands of people on social media say they are planning to take part in “economic blackouts.”
It started about a month ago by Chicago area meditation and mindfulness educator John Schwartz. This idea took off on social media. There, you will search for posts of hundreds of people who share screenshots from infographics and encourage others to join the protest. Google’s search data shows that the number of questions about “economic power outages” has been rising recently.
“Don’t buy anything on February 28th,” author Stephen King wrote to Bruski. “These d—I only understand money.”
Actors John Legoizamo and Bette Midler share similar sentiments on recent social media accounts.
Calls for action or omission in this case arise as prices for essential items such as food continue to rise, housing markets are frozen, and US credit card debt reaches record highs. In addition to these issues, the consumer trust report has recently followed closely, marking its most sharp decline since August 2021.
Schwartz, who refused to respond to a request for comment, recently created a website to protest, namely the People’s Union USA, which essentially unifies working-class people across the country.
In several videos posted online, Schwartz says his campaign is a nonpartisan attempt to resist corporate greed, political corruption and economic resistance to economic exploitation.
As part of the protest, Schwartz is asking shoppers to suspend all non-essential purchases online and in stores. If people have to spend, they said they should only gather their dollars to small and medium-sized businesses and local businesses. He also urges people to take time off from work if possible.
Since he began promoting the idea of a 24-hour economic blackout, Schwartz has gained hundreds of thousands of new followers across Tiktok and Instagram, according to social media analytics website Social Blade.
“This isn’t just a protest. It’s our warning shot. For a long time, businesses have treated American people like endless sources of profit,” Schwartz said in a video on Monday. “They can raise prices because they can. They pay the workers to a minimum while gathering record profits. They also lobby politicians to equip the system to their advantage. But what is the thing they fear most? That’s us.”
Economic analyst Mark Hamrick said he observed a growing public perception of wealth and income inequality driven by what he called “economic financialization.”
Still, retail analyst Neil Saunders said that translating online traction into actions could prove difficult.
“While we may get enough support to have a small impact on the day itself, it’s unlikely that it will create a big hole in all spending schemes happening in the US economy,” Sanders wrote in an email, adding that many consumers will only postpone spending the next day.
After the first 24 hours of power outage, the People’s Union added weekly boycotts of certain companies throughout the year, targeting Amazon, Nestlé, Walmart, General Mills, Target and McDonald’s. Another typical 24-hour economic power outage is also scheduled for April 18th.
Representatives from Amazon, Nestlé, Walmart, General Mills, Target and McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
The online movement includes an echo of the Wall Street occupation movement that broke out in 2011. This is the culmination of public dissatisfaction and distrust among businesses following the 2008 economic recession. However, the planned omissions contrast with the occupation movement, which has flooded the town for months to mobilize protesters against economic inequality and corporate corruption.
Schwartz’s campaign argues it is not political and does not explicitly mention the widespread reductions in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have increased in the wake of conservative experts and rhetoric from recent directions from the Trump administration. Still, many online are looking for a more targeted boycott of brands that have significantly reduced DEI efforts.
Several political organisations added support for planned blackouts on Friday, citing rollbacks of the DEI initiative, particularly. (Such initiatives, which typically include policies aimed at ensuring fair treatment of people from various backgrounds, have become a cultural flashpoint, as the Trump administration describes them as “discriminatory” and anti-meritality.)
The Colorado Women Voters League said on Instagram. “In particular, avoid large companies that are cutting or eliminating DEI programs, such as Target, Walmart, McDonald’s and Amazon.”
Big companies like Walmart, Lowe, Ford and Toyota were among the first to dial the DEI program late last year, especially after a social media-driven campaign by influencers like Robbie Starbuck, who reported that PepsiCo was one of the latest.
Businesses across the country have pledged to wipe out diversity efforts after the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police in 2020 launched the National Social Justice Movement. However, President Donald Trump issued many executive orders to the DEI in his first few weeks of office. Part of it faces legal hurdles as civil rights groups sued and federal judges stopped his administration from ending DEI-related grants.
Last month, Target said it would end its three-year DEI goal, halt reporting to groups focusing on external diversity, such as the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, and end programs focused on carrying more products from Black or other minority shareholder companies.
The move promptly sparked a boycott as shoppers urged each other to switch to Costco. This is one of the companies that has expressed their intention to continue their diversity efforts. Comments on Target’s latest social media video are full of Costco mentions as users respond “I’m doing this while eating a Costco hot dog” or “I’m shopping at Costco.”
The boycott Friday coincides with the ongoing “Latin Frieze” movement. This similarly describes it as “a nonpartisan grassroots effort to advocate for everyday purchases made in American businesses supporting the Latino community.” The website describes it as a response to the erosion of DEI efforts in a variety of industries and to “increasing fear and alienation in our immigrant communities” as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration.
The Latino freeze campaign is urging people to shop for essentials only and avoid major purchases, whilst supporting local businesses and businesses supporting the DEI and the immigrant community. We provide a list of major retailers who have demonstrated their commitment to DEI, as well as a list of reduced lists of such initiatives.
“We encourage all consumers to explore the information provided and make unique, informed decisions about which companies align with their values and priorities,” the movement said on its website. “The choice to support or engage a company is entirely up to the individual consumer.”
Economic analyst Hamrick said the visible impact from a massive boycott campaign likely requires more consistency.
“If there is a more substantial and sustained movement towards local purchases targeting privately owned businesses, that could give them some momentum,” Hamrick said. “One of the challenges is that there are no many options. In other words, can you do this business for a long time to match this explanation? And the answer is, there aren’t many.”
