FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) — A nationwide economic blackout of major retailers by People’s Union USA (on Feb. 28) put Amazon, Walmart, and Target on blast for ditching their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as well as the federal government rollback by President Donald Trump.
The grassroots movement says it undermines years of inclusivity progress in the corporate sector, thus urging Americans to refrain from buying anything for 24 hours.
By not giving money to major businesses, you’re sending a powerful message about consumer power and corporate accountability.
“The larger businesses are better equipped to navigate this volatility we have right now. So it’s important to focus on small businesses because that money goes back into the community in real ways and the people who live here,” said Lost Appalachia Trading Company Owner Nicholas Tankersley.
He says they do their best to represent where they’re from.
“Fayetteville’s a great community for that because we have a lot of small businesses, great restaurants, little shops worth checking out,” Tankersley said. “It builds the character of the community.”
According to New River Zen’s Jen Lanham, whether we are boycotting something or not, it’s important to support your local businesses because they are always community-driven.
“Our communities are filled with all kinds of different people,” Lanham said. “And so when you’re supporting local, you’re supporting that entire engrossed community.”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion promote fairness, respect, and a sense of belonging for all.
“I think diversity is part of what makes our community unique,” said Tankersley. “We like to celebrate that and encourage everyone to use their buying power to influence those decisions.”
When it comes to sales, you never want to avoid serving certain segments of the population, Lanham says.
“I’m not sure how any of us survive if we start alienating different parts of our communities in terms of hospitality, sales, service industry drives,” said the New River Zen owner. “It’s so important to include everyone.”
