The Rainbow PUSH Coalition gathered several of the city’s faith leaders Thursday to call on Chicagoans to not spend any money on Friday. Their effort joins a nationwide movement for an economic blackout to protest corporate greed and companies like Amazon rolling back their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“The act of not buying is action,” the Rev. James Moody of the African Methodist Episcopal Church told reporters at Rainbow PUSH headquarters Thursday afternoon. “I encourage everyone to take action by not acting. By not acting … the economic power of the African American community and those who join with us is felt.”
The 24-hour blackout starts at midnight Friday and ends midnight Saturday.
Rainbow PUSH’s callout focused on encouraging faith leaders of all religions to mobilize their congregations to participate in the blackout.
“Don’t spend a single dollar. Don’t spend at major retailers, fast food chains, gas stations or online platforms; we specifically call out Amazon. Let’s not spend a penny,” said the Rev. Ira Acree, the lead pastor at Greater St. John Bible Church. “If there is to be some necessary or essential spending, let’s empower our local communities. Let’s empower our local stores.”
The Rev. Marshall Hatch said the inspiration for joining the blackout came from people feeling powerless about “what’s going on in our country.”
“Boycott means we do not just simply vote every four years or we vote on election days, but we vote every day when we spend our dollars,” Hatch said. “We cannot shop anywhere, and that, of course, is an organizing tactic. It’s a way to strategically have people inspired about their own power.”
Friday’s blackout is one of several ongoing boycotts advocates have launched recently, taking aim at companies like Target and Walmart for retreating from DEI initiatives.
John Schwarz, founder of the grassroots organization the People’s Union USA and the organizer behind Friday’s boycott, posted on Instagram that the blackout pushes back against the notion that Americans have no choice and must “accept these insane prices, the corporate greed, the billionaire tax breaks, all while we struggle to just get by.”
The People’s Union USA is planning boycotts of various other companies, including Nestle and General Mills, between March and April, according to the group’s website.
Schwarz, who lives in the Chicago area, told WBEZ’s Sasha-Ann Simons he was fed up with “everything going on in politics, in the environment and in the country as a whole.”
“Tomorrow is not about hurting anyone’s wallets,” he said. It’s about showing that “we are here. We are not stopping until we get the things we deserve.”