Throughout the last century, Black Americans have made their voices heard not only through marches, speeches, and sit-ins, but also through a lesser-remembered yet equally powerful form of protest: the economic boycott.
These boycotts were not merely refusals to spend; they were declarations of self-worth. Black communities organizing economic resistance—refusing to support businesses that refused to hire, respect, or serve them with fairness—was vital to Black resistance.
During the Great Depression, economic desperation was felt across America, but for Black communities, it was compounded by racial discrimination that kept them jobless even as they spent their limited dollars in white-owned stores.
In cities like Chicago, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, Black activists launched the “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work”campaigns. These protests pushed the message that businesses profiting from Black dollars must reciprocate by hiring Black workers…