The movement to encourage U.S. consumers to participate in a day of protest by not spending money on February 28 has gained momentum online, with thousands of people planning to take part in the “economic blackout.” The idea was started by John Schwarz, a meditation and mindfulness educator, and has been widely shared on social media. Schwarz aims to unionize working-class people with his website, The People’s Union USA, to resist corporate greed and economic exploitation.
Participants are asked to refrain from making nonessential purchases on February 28 and to support small and local businesses if they must spend money. Schwarz has gained followers on TikTok and Instagram and plans further boycotts of specific companies throughout the year, targeting Amazon, Nestlé, Walmart, General Mills, Target, and McDonald’s. The movement has echoes of the Occupy Wall Street movement from 2011 but is focused on economic action rather than street protests.
The blackout also coincides with the “Latino Freeze” movement, which advocates for purchases to be made from American businesses that support the Latino community. Both movements are responses to the erosion of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in various industries. While some companies have scaled back on these efforts, others like Costco have expressed intentions to continue supporting diversity. Overall, the effectiveness of large-scale boycott campaigns may depend on sustained and consistent efforts to support local and diverse businesses.
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