A proper Target for a Black boycott – St. Louis American

St. Louis American
African Americans have about $1.6 trillion in buying power. And we are the ultimate consumers, disproportionately spending on beauty and personal care, apparel and footwear, and entertainment and technology.
There are reasons for all of this, many rooted in enslavement and exclusion, but the reasons really don’t matter. We spend rather than save, we spend to compensate for structural challenges, we spend because it makes us feel good. When we feel good, we buy. When we feel bad, we buy. New job, we buy because we want to look good. Lost job, we buy because we “need” casual clothes. We buy.
We patronize those who oppress us. Consider Elon Musk, the owner of former Twitter, now X. We’re all in with that platform, generating hashtags and sales platforms. To be sure, many a movement has been ignited through the Twitter platform, including Black Lives Matter. It is time to kiss Twitter, or X, goodbye.
More importantly, African American people must use our dollars strategically, which is why I welcome the Rev. Jamal Bryant’s call that we “fast” from Target during Lent. Target was one of the first corporations to back off DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion). The Rev. Bryant has it right. Should we fund our own oppression by patronizing a company that has turned on us?
Already more than 50,000 people have agreed to join the fast. You can sign up, too, at targetfast.org.
Thank you for supporting local Black journalism!

This “fast”/boycott will only be successful if the organizers cause Target pain. Bryant says Black people spend $12 million a day at Target. Refusing economic engagement with Target could cause the company quite a blow. But who’s counting?
If we can’t document that this “fast” made a difference, we render the boycott tactic impotent. Lots of people are throwing terms like “boycott” around, but if they don’t hurt, they don’t matter.
Our most successful boycott was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to yield her seat to a white passenger, the Montgomery Black community rallied around her and did not ride buses for more than a year.
They were legally and physically attacked, but they persisted and prevailed for more than a year. Their victory led to a Supreme Court decision to desegregate public transportation. It worked, not because the bus company yielded, but because they were losing money — about $30,000 a day in today’s dollars, or more than $11 million during the 381-day boycott.
Boycotts are only effective if they are coordinated, impactful and surgical. The word boycott, bandied about, is ineffective. A boycott that hurts the oppressor is successful. Jamal Bryant and his allies are to be commended for calling for this “fast” from Target.
In the face of many calls to boycott Target, some of the Black entrepreneurs featured in the stores have asked that Black consumers consider them as they boycott. Most of their products are available online. Black people aren’t boycotting innovative Black businesses, we are boycotting an oppressive retailer.
Historically, we had the “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaign. We must revive that revolutionary energy. When we support those who are retreating from DEI, we are funding our own oppression.
Julianne Malveaux, a former college president, is an economist, author and commentator based in Washington, D.C.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Δ
2315 Pine Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: (314) 533-8000
Email:editor@stlamerican.com

Enter the code sent to your email.
Email address

Enter your password
Sign in by entering the code we sent to , or clicking the magic link in the email.
https://www.stlamerican.com/. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.