Chances are that if you’ve been on social media at all in the past few weeks (who hasn’t?), you’ve probably seen that ubiquitous black square with plain white lettering detailing an economic blackout where consumers are urged not to spend any money on Friday, February 28th. But you may be asking, wait, what is an economic blackout anyway? And how does a group-project-style no-spend day help with standing up to corporations stripping down DEI initiatives?

While the February 2025 boycott is commendable, let’s look at some past protests and see what worked and why. One of the most successful boycotts of the 20th century was the Montgomery Bus Boycott, spanning nearly 13-months from 1955 to 1956. You’ve definitely heard of the Mother of the Civil Rights movement – Mrs. Rosa Parks – but did you know there were several other African-American women prior to her who also refused to give up their seats on buses? One woman was 18-year-old Mary Louise Smith, who was arrested earlier the same year. The collective culmination of these courageous women’s acts helped the Women’s Political Council of Montgomery finally gain some leverage in their fight for equal rights.

With the aid of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other local black leaders, the WPC organized meetings at churches, handed out leaflets, and formed the Montgomery Improvement Association, where they orchestrated carpools when the Montgomery government threatened to fine cab drivers who gave rides to African Americans who refused to ride the bus.

 After a year of economic distress and rising support from other marginalized communities across the country, a federal judge ruled in June of 1956 that segregation on public transport was unconstitutional. The state of Alabama appealed the ruling, but the Supreme Court upheld the verdict. The Montgomery Bus Boycott is largely considered a foundational tenet of the civil rights movement, much like Brown v. Board of Education, which was made possible by the organized efforts of black communities.

Conversely, economic blackouts which incur only a singular day have had less impact over the years. Most consumers when faced with a no-spend day will simply delay their purchases or pre-emptively buy what they need, which makes the boycott redundant. A lot of these large corporations also may not even care about, say, a 2% dip in sales on a particular day, especially if sales return to normal the next day or week.

A single day of financial abstinence against corporations is not going to hurt their bottom line. We need to hit them with the long game. Look at the current on-going boycott of Target. Since they’ve rolled back their DEI initiatives and consumers are refusing to shop there, their stock has dropped 12% and they’ve been hit with lawsuits from their own shareholders who were told that this exact thing wouldn’t happen! Buying power is in the hands of consumers – especially those who understand it’s going to take time and effort to put a dent in the pocketbook of big business.

So what can we do? If one day isn’t enough to turn the tide, then what is? For the answer, we only have to look at the African American community of Montgomery. They had clear, actionable goals and organized meet-ups, handed out informational papers, and created fundraisers for those who couldn’t afford transportation. All of these things culminated in habits that disrupted the landscape of their spending, which in turn, altered the public transport system for the better. The same goes for boycotting big businesses. We can’t just avoid shopping for a single day and call it good. These businesses plan for short-term dips in sales and traffic.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t join the boycott at all on Friday, February 28th. Rather, it should be seen as the starting line to reach a larger goal. Get your friends, family, and community together and rally around buying your groceries from another company. There are tons of local growers who deserve your help and support, as well as chain stores that have remained steadfast in upholding their diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives.