People are protesting against several companies who are rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives through a 24-hour-long boycott on Feb. 28, 2025.
The movement, which is being started by a group called The People’s Union USAis called “The 24-Hour Economic Blackout.”
The “24-Hour Economic Blackout” will start at midnight on Feb. 27, and end on Feb. 28, urging people to not make any purchases at major retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
The boycott will also encourage people to only buy necessities during that time and support small, local businesses instead of major retailers.
READ MORE: 5 myths about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion debunked
A social media account from the founder, John Schwarz, who goes by the Instagram handle “TheOneCalledJai,” said that the protest is meant to be an act of economic resistance.
“We are going to remind them who has the power. For one day, we turn it off for one day. We shut it down for one day. We remind them that this country does not belong to the elite, it belongs to the people, and this will work,” Schwarz stated in an Instagram video.
“Some of you might say one day won’t make a difference and that’s exactly what they want you to believe,” the video continued. “If enough of us participate, they will feel it and if they don’t listen, we escalate.”
The same group is also planning a boycott of Amazon from March 7-14 and Nestle from March 21-28.
There are other boycotts of retailers taking place for rolling back DEI initiatives, including a month-long boycott against Target formed by labor advocacy group We Are Somebody and a Minneapolis city council member.
However, not everyone is on board with these boycotts, specifically Black-owned businesses.
Tabitha Brown, an actress who also sells a line of kitchenware at Target, says that it’s not the corporation itself but the Black-owned brands selling their wares that have the most to lose.
“I get it, but so many of us will be affected, and our sales will drop,” Brown said in a video posted to Instagram. “Our business will be hurt, and if any of you know business, it doesn’t just happen overnight where you can just go take all your stuff and pull it off the shelves.”
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