What Makes for an Effective Boycott?
From Choose Democracy and Build the Resistance, Boycott Central is a fledgling resource about boycotts. I found this checklist of requirements for effective boycotts really interesting & useful:
- a target (who is supposed to change behavior)
- a demand (so the target knows what they have to do to get the boycott to stop)
- boycotters (a lot of people who used to be customers refusing to be customers anymore)
- leadership/negotiation committee (people who can show the target they’re hurting their bottomline and negotiate over demands)
- a way to communicate with the boycotters (a structure and massive social reach!).
They go on to note that most of the recent boycotts, including the Feb 28th one, do not meet these criteria — but that we shouldn’t despair: “boycotts take some time to organize well”. As others have noted, the activism & organizing muscles of many Americans have atrophied in recent years, and it will take time to get ourselves into shape. Boycotts are like anything else…you need to practice in order to get better.
See also The Complete History of the Famed Delano Grape Strike. (via @prisonculture.bsky.social)
Comments 4
Yes. I hope seasoned activists don't get all caught up in the (all too common on the Left) "you're not doing it right" trap. Because I'm afraid that we're going to need a hell of a lot more than a one-day boycott before things get better. People being confused and arguing over this simple boycott are nothing compared to what it will take to organize successful (read: massive) general strikes.
Paired with learning to boycott and strike, we also need to learn mutual aid as a proactive and consistent practice within the resistance. Boycotting and striking lead to hardship—and that is something many of us aren't used to when we can have any inconvenience remedied with overnight delivery. People will need help with rides, food, babysitters, mental health support, lodging, etc.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days, but only because of mutual aid, the Montgomery Improvement Association's guidance to continue evolving strategies, especially involving alternative transport, and grassroots community organizations, such as the Club from Nowhere, led by Georgia Gilmore, which used food both to feed families who had no time to prepare meals due to longer commutes and to raise money for the boycott.
Before the real work even begins, we could all offer to share a lasagna—"I made too much!"—with an upstairs/next door neighbor, offer a ride to the store—"I'm going there anyway!"—or offer to babysit for a family that seems to be running on empty. These acts of community will build muscle memory—for you and for them.
We could go to thrift stores and stock up on sleeping bags. We could buy extra socks when we see them on sale, taking them to marches to give to people who might have worn the wrong shoes and need more cushioning. We could brainstorm ways to use our skills—design, teaching, organization, coding, research, etc.—to contribute outside of our neatly drawn, comfortable circles. We could think about what thankless role(s) we can play—picking up garbage, paying for bus fares, or making 150 sandwiches each night. That way, we're ready to step up and do the work without even being asked.
Uff, I had a lot to say about this. I could go on, but I'm sure y'all get the gist of it. Go forth and boycott! And build community while you're at it!
None of us can be sure what will “work.” You try multiple things and find your way in. Read some histories of the Civil Rights Movement by those who participated. They were never “sure” of what would work. Some campaigns fizzled out. But persistence, creativity, determination, and focus were key.
I don't think people realize how much training wheels activism most Americans require. Give people small ways to contribute. The more they flex that muscle the more they'll do in the future.
Also ffs there's never perfect activism. The amount of energy spent critiquing this has been such a waste.
https://bsky.app/profile/ballaban.bsky.social/post/3ljaiynsp2c2d
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