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Where and how we spend our money holds significant weight in shaping the world around us. Every purchase we make is a choice—a decision that influences not only our immediate circumstances but also contributes to the larger socio-economic and environmental landscape. Whether it's opting for environmentally sustainable products, supporting local businesses, or contributing to charitable causes, our spending habits reflect our values and priorities. When we choose to spend consciously, we exert a collective influence that can steer markets and industries toward more ethical and sustainable practices, promoting positive change and accountability within our communities.
Black Christmas
Excerpted from Movement:
The 1963 headline "SUPPORT CHRISTMAS BOYCOTT" is from an article by James Baldwin declaring a boycott called “Black Christmas.” For this event, many Black people and their allies like the Urban League boycotted “big box” stores (large stores selling goods at discount prices). Some protesters carried signs reading “Don’t shop where you can’t work.” Instead, shoppers spent their money at Black-owned businesses. A business’s success relies on consumers purchasing its goods, so when shoppers spend their money elsewhere, a boycotted business can be hurt.
The Black Christmas movement continues today. Promoters of the hashtags #BuyBlack and #BlackXmas work to encourage shoppers to choose Black businesses, not White corporations.
What kind of economic choices are important to you in your holiday spending? Do you love buying local, are you a champion of independent businesses, or do you go all in on employee-owned companies? No matter your cause, you can make a difference with your dollars this holiday season.
Movement
Written and reviewed by Black scholars and experts, Movement examines the cultural, social, political, and economic contributions, stories, and movements of Black Americans. Offered as both a five-volume series and a beautiful, hardback textbook, Movement highlights the obstacles, triumphs, and cultural contributions of Black Americans who have shaped US history.
