NATIONAL NEWS – Americans refuse to shop on February 28 during an economic blackout day

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Accounts across social media platforms like X(formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and others have posted about an economic blackout that is being organized on Friday, February 28th. The idea of an economic blackout began with John Schwartz. Schwartz was a self-described “mindfulness and mediation facilitator.” He first proposed the idea of an economic blackout to his relatively small Instagram following. However, his idea about an economic blackout gained significant traction as people became outraged at the actions of Trump’s administration and companies’ compliance. Many of the posts about this blackout revolve around showing the power of the consumer and standing up to large corporations. The blackout urges Americans not to shop for 24 hours. The movement is being spearheaded by The People’s Union USA. This grassroots organization is invested in showing wealthy CEOs and Donald Trump that the rollback of DEI policies and the firing of federal workers is not going to be tolerated by the people. The boycott targets companies like Target that have rolled back their DEI policies after the executive order signed by Trump. 

The boycott coincides with protests against President Trump’s plans to reduce the federal workforce and follows instances of mass firing in federal agencies. The People’s Union posted a video to their social media accounts stating, “For generations, our families worked, sacrificed, and fought to build a better future, yet here we stand, still waiting,” the group posted in a video on Instagram. “We the people will not wait any longer. We stand in solidarity to honor the past and carve a new path for the future.” The impact of the protest on the economy is yet to be seen but the movement has gained significant traction on social media garnering many likes and reports showing mass support for the initiative.