Let’s close out our Collective Liberation 101 focus for March (a few days late) with talk about some of the most powerful tools we have in our fight for liberation: Boycotts and Strikes! Be sure to check out the other March installments talking about Abolition, if you haven’t already.
There has been a lot of discussion on boycotts and strikes in recent months. And they have left a lot of people frustrated and confused. Why does it seem so hard to put together an effective boycott or strike these days?
I think there are a lot of factors that have made organizing an effective boycott or strike more difficult. While some have been effective (and we are still seeing some amazing labor strikes in the US, even if they aren’t making headlines), many seem disorganized and don’t have the level of participation that our dire political situation would seem to call for. The truth is, boycotts and strikes have been heavily discouraged by our government, and our local and national legislatures have done a lot to weaken our ability to effectively organize. And when you combine that with the confusing, and often fractured, nature of social media, and it can make modern protest actions quite difficult.
But this is something that I know we can, and must, do!
Now, let me add a caveat here. I grew up in a union family, and have participated in many boycotts and have supported strikes over the years, and I have researched boycotts and strikes for my writing - but I am not an expert here at all! This installment provides some very basic info on boycotts and strikes, as well as my opinion based on my research, but I hope that you’ll check out some of the resources below to get a much better education on this! And be sure to check out the handy printable document I put together, with questions to ask yourself when planning your next boycott or strike!
Boycotts
Further reading:
History of Successful Boycotts
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights, by Omar Barghouti
Buying Power: A History of Consumer Activism in America, by Lawrence B. Glickman
Labor Strikes
Further reading:
10 Major Labor Strikes Throughout US History
Strikes, Lockouts, & Work Stoppages
The Longest Strike in the U.S. Just Ended: This Is the Workers’ Story
A Short History of Black Labor Movements in America
Organized labor’s complicated history with civil rights
A History of America in Ten Strikes, by Erik Loomis
Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor, by Kim Kelly
Radical Seattle: The General Strike of 1919, by Cal Winslow
Where you can find more Until All Of Us Are Free
Ijeoma Oluo: website | Instagram | Behind the Book | Be A Revolution
This project is created and hosted by Ijeoma Oluo
Music produced by Gabriel Teodros: website | bandcamp | Instagram | substack
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