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Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Week Long Boycott for Sean Bell

17:31 H | Topics: Activism - Justice

Today marks the start of a week long national boycott called by various activist and community organizations to protest the Sean Bell police killing and subsequent verdicts. From the email announcement of the boycott:

As many of you may know, the NYPD detectives in the Sean Bell murder trial were acquitted on all charges. The judge in the case had made his decision based on the fact that the demeanor and background of Mr. Bell and his friends had warranted the detectives to shoot over 50 times. This judicial decision cannot go unanswered. Go back to the 80's with the death of Michael Stewart and Eleanor bumpers to name a few. Go back even further to a time when it was legal to lynch African Americans. For too long we have sat idly by while we let the "establishment" shoot our leaders(Malcolm/ Martin/Medgar) and our young Black/Hispanic men(Stewart/ Baez/Bell) and have done NOTHING about it.


Now is the time to move to action. We must make this stand because if we do not, they will continue to just kill our leaders and young men when it suits them knowing they will not be held to the same judicial consequences as the average citizens. We can no longer turn a blind eye, because it may happen to us. The only thing that the establishment understands is the almighty dollar.


So remember, do all necessary shopping prior to the MAY 19th (May17 & 18). Buy no gas; fill up before. Do grocery shopping before. Carpool to work, if possible ride a bike or walk to work. Bring bagged lunch to work or leftovers. Spend not one penny that week. Make a donation of at least $5.00 to a Black/Hispanic organization. God Bless. PLEASE PASS THIS ON.

This has led to much debate in the activist world, on and offline, as to the validity of boycotts as a means of protest. Is a boycott an effective means of protest, another weapon in the activist toolbox? Is a week-long boycott too much to ask of people?

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