If you know me, then you know that I’ve broken up with the Following States: Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Arizona, Tennessee and Wisconsin. I began financial boycotts senior year of high school and it looks like I won’t be stopping anytime soon. If you’re thinking about starting a financial boycott of a person, location or space read on to learn about what it’s like to do this, why it makes some people uncomfortable and why these boycotts are so powerful. There are also some important nuances that I do want to bring up that are an important part of the financial boycott conversation.
Why I Embrace Financial Boycotts
As a young teen I saw the importance of financial boycotts as corporations and people across the world began divesting out of South Africa. You don’t think that apartheid ended because people were feeling badly about it?
No. It ended because the country of South Africa began to lose business. Tourists didn’t want to be seen as complicit in the practices that were upholding the system of apartheid. Companies were beginning to be held accountable and it just became distasteful to do business in South Africa.
There were songs about Sun City, a well known resort that celebrities would perform at until they wouldn’t.
I even recorded a podcast episode about “How to Boycott a State Like Texas”
Over the years I’ve learned three important things about financial boycotts
People hate it when their money is impacted-It pains me to say this but, many people seem to care more about their money than about people. Once you hit people in their wallet-things begin to change.
Most of the people, places and spaces exist in similar ways elsewhere-In the long run you’re not going to miss out on anything because the world is a big place and it is very likely that what you’re boycotting is available to you somewhere else by someone else in a way that isn’t distasteful to you.
Financial boycotts can make some people uncomfortable because it may feel like a judgement on how they are living their lives and what they’re supporting. They may be subsconsciously wondering if they’re complicit in the very thing that a friend or family member is boycotting.
Letting the Market Decide
I like to throw common talking points at other people when they react angrily at me for saying “No” to certain states, places, brands or people.
I work hard for my money. I do not have to spend it anywhere that I am uncomfortable with.
One of the main tenants of Capitalism is competition and letting the market decide. I AM the market. I do not have to spend my money in a space that I feel is harmful to myself or others.
America is a huge place and I’ve visited 46 states. Yes, 46 of the United States so I am very aware of what I’m saying “No” to.
I have to make personal decisions on a place by place basis. For example, some places I’m not actively boycotting because I just have no reason to return again. So, there’s no need to boycott because I won’t be returning either way.
Why I am Currently Boycotting States
We are living in wild times right now. I do not want to be supporting any state that is actively doing the following as regards to policy:
Aggressively gerrymandering to disenfranchise people of color in the state. This is happening everywhere btw.
Passing laws that endanger the lives of women.
Pushing through permitless carry laws without debate.
The Governor is an Asshole
NAACP has issued a warning that the place, space or state is dangerous to Black visitors.
I feel like the states that I boycott shouldn’t surprise anyone given my personal politics. However, there are some important things to ask.
What About People Who Can’t Say “No”
I think there is a very important part of the financial boycott conversation that I hadn’t considered as a younger person that I do now:
What if you can’t boycott?
And there are so many incredibly valid reasons why someone can’t take a stand.
You need the job
You can’t afford to leave the state
You have to attend the event in the state because of your job
Your relatives live there
Taking a stand can physically endanger you
You’re afraid of retaliation
When I was younger, I hadn’t considered that there is a certain degree of privilege that I may to boycott certain things without worrying about how taking a stand could endanger me in some way.
Could My Economic Boycott Cause Harm?
I think that it’s also very important to ask this question. Will my avoiding a certain space, place or state deepen harm to people that I want to help?
A recent example of the nuance around this question is when Major League Baseball moved the All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver during the fall of 2021 due to concerns about a voting law being enacted in Georgia.
While Denverites and Coloradans were thrilled to bring Major League Baseball into town in 2021.
Colorado is an entirely Vote By Mail state and the experience of voting here is glorious. However, many people rightfully brought up that by moving this event many small Black businesses were likely financially harmed in Atlanta.
While the area where Denver’s Coors Field is located is basically on the edge of the historic Five Points District (African-American district of Denver) gentrification has drastically changed the area.
No Black businesses were helped by this move beyond helping the mayor of Denver (who happened to be Black) and the Governor of the state of Colorado score a financial win.
It’s also important to consider that many communities were still dealing with the financial fallout from COVID lockdowns and mitigation efforts.
Those small businesses in Atlanta needed that money.
The Grey Area
What people don’t realize is that for a person participating in a financial boycott-the harm or injustice they are fighting against falls solidly in a non-negotiable space. People like me who actively participate in financial boycotts have determined (for themselves) that the issue or problem is solidly in the “No-no zone.”
However, for many other folks these conversations land in The Grey Area. There are a lot of reasons why people land in “The Grey Area” and they may express disdain, annoyance or just confusion as to why you’ve decided to say “no” to something that they’ve said “yes” to.
No one has shared an easy alternative to accessing the thing that people are saying “no” to.
The issue doesn’t feel like it directly impacts them.
Financially boycotting potentially introduces an inconvenience into their lives that they don’t want to deal with.
It’s unclear what the impact will be-does a boycott even work or matter?
Is the issue that a person or group boycotting a real issue? Is it actually causing harm to others and should be called out?
Overwhelm-There are so many issues that you could care about, how do you decide what to say “no” to?
I know of people who regularly shop or eat at stores/restaurants who are considered to have questionable practices or ethics. When asked the person will say “I just want my burger-I don’t care about their personal beliefs.”
How I Decide What To Boycott
Over the years I’ve come up with a pretty solid system for deciding which states/spaces or places I will actively boycott. Typically, I’m also boycotting spaces that I would have continued traveling to under normal circumstances. Let’s be clear, I love Miami, Austin and would love to visit Marfa, Texas. But, I am actively boycotting those places for a reason.
Does the potential for me being harmed increase if I’m in that space? The Florida NAACP Conference has issued a travel warning for African-Americans to avoid the state. This warning also warns against MOVING to the state. I was already boycotting Florida prior to this decree. My concern is that the Governor is actively taking away rights and arresting people. What if something happened to me while I was there? Many US states are very problematic, but having a Governor aggressively, blatantly and openly taking away people’s rights in a way that could impact me upon arrival means that I shouldn’t be going there.
Does the action go against a core belief that I have?
Here are some examples:
Passing aggressive measures to eliminate people’s rights (voting, body autonomy, etc.)
Eliminating access to voting-I believe all states should be Vote By Mail. One of the most interesting things to do is to look at a map of the United States and then look at all of the Vote By Mail states.
Normalizing harm to others
Under normal circumstances would I actually visit the state/place of space? If the answer is “Yes” then the boycott (in my mind) has more impact. I absolutely love Miami-but, as long as the current governor is in power-I’m not going there. I’m also not going to fly through the state. I would love to visit Tampa. But, I’m not going back. This is an important nuance-If these things weren’t happening I would go there. Instead, I will go somewhere else.
Letting The Market Decide (Part II)
For the longest time I wanted to go to Marfa, Texas. It’s a cute little artist collective town about 3 hours from El Paso, Texas. I couldn’t wait to see the famed fake Prada store that everyone talks about on the side of the highway, to see the Marfa lights and stay at El Cosmico.
I was so bummed because I’d dreamed about taking that trip for years. But, going to Marfa meant that I would be driving for an extended period of time by myself on a Texas highway. Something that was increasingly looking like not a great idea of something to do.
Then I had the opportunity to model for Kelty (an outdoor apparel company) in New Mexico. I drove down from Denver to Taos and we ended up staying at The Hotel Luna Mystica. I ended up having an incredible experience that was very similar to what I was looking at for my cancelled trip to Marfa.
Beautiful location
Cute retro RV park
Bohemian hippy vibes
Other Examples
Instead of Miami, I can go to San Juan, Puerto Rico
Instead of Orlando Disney World, I could go to Disneyland in Anaheim.
Instead of eating at a questionable fast food chain-I can choose from DOZENS, literally DOZENS of other places to eat in most mid-sized or larger towns.
Instead of going to the bar or restaurant known for mistreating people, I can go to the places that treat me right.
Technology is King!
I am somewhat cynical about technology and I think we should all side-eye certain aspects of it. However, what I do love about technology is that I can still support organizations, individuals and spaces using digital tools. Here is how technology can
Fundraise for companies, organizations that I can’t physically go to for whatever reason.
Purchase products from mission aligned businesses-I love that I can buy books and other items from most small businesses with a simple business set up.
Support local leaders and activists through conversations, expanded access to their mission and more.
Do Financial Boycotts Actually Work?
Here are a few examples of financial boycotts that transformed policy.
Boycott of Sun City and many South African businesses-helped to speed up the end of Apartheid. Interestingly enough this boycott was really lead by Steven Van Zandt and other musicians. Check out the “I Ain’t Going to Play Sun City” video
Birmingham Bus Boycott-This started as a protest against prohibitive seating practices. Black people had to sit at the back of the bus or move if a White passenger wanted/needed a seat. Ultimately, it ended up being a financial boycott. What people don’t talk about is how 40,000 black transit customers stopped using the system and found alternative modes of transportation. I’ve included a link to a post by History (dot) com that shares more insight into what the community ended up doing.
The Delano Grape Boycott-I hadn’t heard of this boycott even though I’m very familiar with Cesar Chavez. An organizer who is formally recognized by the City of Denver with an official day off. Filipino workers were protesting their pay and work conditions harvesting grapes. Millions of consumers stopped buying grapes. This story is so incredible. Click here for more details.
In my view, yes, boycotts do work but they need the following components:
Clear communication about why the protest is happening.
Viable other options for the good/resource or service. The Birmingham Bus Boycott worked because Black Taxi drivers collaborated with the community to provided affordable transit in addition to carpooling services.
Momentum-I’m just one person boycotting Florida/Texas/etc. But, what if there are millions of people who participate such as what happened with the Delano Grape Boycott?
Data on the financial impact-I love that we can generate financial models that show the impact of these protests on a business/space or place.
Moving Forward
I will continue to embrace financial boycotts. However, by doing so I recognize that this is an action personal to me and that I can’t judge other people who make different financial choices.
I’m not paying their bills or living their lives.
Have you participated in financial boycotts? What are your thoughts?
Michelle
I've giving up flying places because it harms the planet.