John,

This country has a long, painful tradition of masking injustice with celebration — wrapping exploitation in holiday cheer to hide the truth of stolen land, stolen labor, and stolen lives. Thanksgiving has always been a story rewritten by the powerful, sanitized to make oppression look like a feast. And every year, Black communities are expected to smile through it and keep pouring our dollars into a system that has never poured back into us.

But we don’t have to feed a system that is committed to feasting on us.

This Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, Color Of Change — alongside our partners, members, and communities — is taking a stand.
We are sending a clear message to corporate America and to this administration:
We Ain’t Buying It.

And when we say “we,” we mean the very consumers whose spending keeps this economy alive, Black consumers.

Black Spending Power Is Enormous, and Corporations Know It

Black people make up just 14% of the U.S. population, yet our collective spending power exceeds $1.8 trillion, and corporations build their holiday strategies around us.

During the holiday season:

Black consumers spend more on holiday purchases than the national average.
Nearly 1 in 3 Black households participates in Black Friday and Cyber Monday at higher rates than other groups.
Black consumers are more likely to shop online and more likely to purchase for extended family networks, fueling the very retail giants that refuse to invest back in us.
Corporations know exactly how much they rely on Black dollars. They spend billions in targeted ads and holiday campaigns rooted in our culture — while underpaying Black workers, ignoring our safety, and bankrolling politicians who harm our communities.

The Bigger Picture

Last Thanksgiving weekend:

Consumers spent over $20 billion across Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The average shopper spent $650 in just four days.
Tens of millions of Black consumers were a driving force behind those profits.
Corporations depend on us to show up.
This year, we’re showing up differently.

This is strategy, not sacrifice.

We are asking Black families, congregations, neighborhoods, HBCU students, aunties, uncles, elders, Gen Z, faith leaders, and movement builders, all of us, to use this season to build power, not profits for corporations.

Because when a system continues to harm us, our refusal becomes an act of protection.

How to Participate

Full Black Out

Do not buy anything from Target, Amazon, or Home Depot during this week.
Use the time and money to connect with those you love, build community, and reconnect with what truly matters.

Redirect Your Spending

Skip the companies undermining our democracy and exploiting our communities.
Instead, shop small, local, or with businesses that affirm our humanity.
Donate money, food, or supplies to support families in need this season.

Amplify the Movement

Spread the word.
Share the message in conversation and online.
Let your family group chats, your timelines, and your communities know:
We Ain’t Buying It because our lives and our dignity are worth more than their profit margins.

Until Justice Is Real,

Color Of Change


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