Photo by David Greene
A flyer circulating on social media under the title National Economic Withdrawal Boycott has called for a week-long boycott of large box-store chains, fast-food restaurants, and online retailers from Sunday, Jun. 21 through Saturday, Jun. 27. The week-long call to action appears to have grown out of other social media campaigns that aim to empower Black people through the control of economics, and to highlight the fight against racism in America through the power of the Black Dollar.
A number of social media campaigns supporting the Black Lives Matter movement have existed since the group was founded. However, as explained in a report by Deadline, in the early days of the recent Black Lives Matter protests after the killing of George Floyd, some people began displaying black square boxes on their social media accounts, instead of personal posts, along with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter in order to show solidarity with the movement.
It’s not enough to post a black box. #BlackLivesMatter #blackoutuesday ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/L76G4Yj3r1
— Shut Up & Listen (@b_uncomfortable) June 9, 2020
This caused some organizational problems as relevant information and updates on events related to the Black Lives Matter movement which advocates were sharing online became hidden. Allies were therefore asked to use the #BlackOutTuesday hashtag instead, an alternative, recurring campaign every Tuesday which aims to promote awareness of Black culture and history, and support of Black-owned businesses.
Other Black-Out campaigns circulating on social media fall under the hashtags #BlackOutWeek2020 and #BlackOutDay, and similarly promote awareness of Black culture, and call for boycotts of large corporations and brands while continuing to support Black-owned and local businesses. The campaigns sometimes trend under the hashtag #BlackDollarPower.
Next week, I and many others have decided that instead of going dark, like #blackoutuesday, we would share an abundance of Black culture on our feeds that others can possibly learn about and gain experiences from. It’s a small gesture, but if you’re interested please join us! pic.twitter.com/N591FTPJuE
— Vanessa Baker (@msvanessabaker) June 4, 2020
The National Economic Withdrawal Boycott flyer called on supporters to begin the week-long boycott of big chain and department stores like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target and others on Sunday, Jun. 21.
The following day, a boycott of fast-food restaurant chains like McDonald’s and Popeyes was proposed, and on Tuesday, Jun. 23, a boycott of online retail giants like Amazon was planned.
The ongoing, week-long boycott culminates on Saturday Jun. 27 when supporters are asked not to spend any money at all on that day. Throughout the boycott, people are encouraged instead to shop at local farmers’ markets and Black-owned businesses.
Photo by David Greene
Additional social media posts under the hashtag #Blackout2020 are calling for a similar boycott next month on Jul. 7. Tony Russell, a follower of one such campaign commented on one such social media post saying, “They won’t see one penny of my money on that day”. Other campaigns are calling for an additional, longer July boycott from Jul. 4 through Jul. 7.
Meanwhile, a separate, recent call to action involved police officers across the nation, who were encouraged to stay home under the guise of the so-called “blue flu” on Saturday, Jun. 20, after nearly four weeks of protests against police brutality following the May 25th death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The combination of Floyd’s graphic death, the deaths of other African Americans at the hands of police, and what some say were heavy-handed responses by police to peaceful demonstrations, has sparked ongoing calls for police reform and greater accountability by police departments across the nation.
The Hill has since reported that Wisconsin police are currently investigating an assault which took place on Wednesday, Jun. 24 as a hate crime after four white men allegedly poured lighter fluid on, and threw a lighter at a woman.
Photo by David Greene
Since the protests began, New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea and First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker have met and held open dialogue meetings with Black leaders across New York City in recent weeks in an effort to improve relations between police and the community. Supporting and enhancing the role of designated Community Affairs Officers and building community relationships were two of Shea’s stated approaches to policing at the time of his appointment as police commissioner in late 2019.
In addition to the recent police reforms implemented at both City and State level, new appointments and changes within the agency have also been announced, as reported recently by Norwood News.
Shea testified earlier this week at a public hearing on interactions between police and protestors during the recent Black Lives Matter protests. The hearing was overseen by New York State Attorney General Laetitia James.
Photo courtesy of New York City government
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Jun. 25, the U.S. Congress passed sweeping criminal justice reforms aimed at curbing the use of excessive force by law enforcement. However, it is uncertain if the bill will pass the Republican-controlled Senate.
The New York Post reported that a second flyer circulating within the NYPD via texts on officers’ cell phones, calls for officers to also stay home on Jul. 4. The flyer even reportedly explained how to get around the Taylor Law, a rule that if broken by way of an illegal strike by police, results in fines or even jail time for officers.
In response to questioning about the planned strike, the Post article ended quoting police spokeswoman, Sergeant Mary Frances O’Donnell, who said, “New York City Police officers will be here today, tomorrow, and on the 4th of July to protect all New Yorkers.”
Photo by David Greene
In reference to various social media posts about the potential “blue flu” day, Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President Patrick Lynch issued a statement on Thursday, Jun. 19 that read, “You are seeing these messages from New York City police officers because they have reached the breaking point. Over the past few weeks, we have been attacked in the streets, demoralized in the media and denigrated by practically every politician in this city”.
Lynch’s statement concluded, “Now, we are facing the possibility of being arrested any time we go out and do our job. Cops have been joking about ‘blue flu’ for generations. The situation we are in right now is no joke”. Lynch did not say if the NYC PBA, which represents 24,000 uniformed police officers, called for the wildcat strike nor if they supported it.
*Síle Moloney provided additional reporting to this story.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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