• Some Michigan residents shopping on the Avenue of Fashion in Detroit Friday were participating in a national protest called an “economic blackout.”
• The movement called for avoiding all unnecessary purchases but if consumers were to spend, they were only to support small, local businesses.

After filling up his vehicle with gas Thursday, Sean Washington and his girlfriend drove from Battle Creek on Friday morning to Detroit to do a little shopping on their day off.

There was a specific type of shopping Washington, who is 52 and from Battle Creek, was doing early Friday afternoon on the historic Avenue of Fashion along Livernois in Detroit.

He was looking to buy a hat but it had to be from a small business because he was participating in a national “economic blackout” spearheaded by the grassroots organization The People’s Union USA.

Organized by John Schwarz, who describes the movement as raising awareness about the ways the “system is rigged” against everyday Americans, the economic blackout comes in response to major retailers rolling back their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to roll back DEI programs across the federal government.

Friday’s blackout is one of several boycotts underway that range from calling for consumers not to spend money anywhere to a 40-day boycott of stores like Target, which announced earlier this year that it was ending its DEI program, joining companies like Walmart, Amazon and Meta. Some organizations, meanwhile, have urged consumers to shop more at stores that continue supporting DEI programs and small businesses.

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“Right now, the only way we can really exercise our voice is economically,” Washington said Friday afternoon after visiting The Mad Hatter on the Ave, which sells men’s clothing and hats. “So we still want to support our small businesses but we’re laying off of the corporate stores just to send that message. … It’s just making sure that we’re supporting local business and not the same people that are currently ravaging our government.”

The economic blackout called on consumers to avoid all unnecessary purchases from midnight Thursday through midnight Friday. Participants also were asked to avoid fast food, filling their vehicles with gas and shopping at major retailers and to avoid using a credit or debit card on nonessential spending. If participants had to spend, they were asked to support only small, local businesses.

More on the economic blackout:Some consumers are preparing for an economic blackout on Feb. 28: what to know

More on actions shoppers are taking:‘Our dollars do count’: These shoppers are using an economic blackout against companies

April Dudley, 51, of Macomb Township, took the protest seriously. She’s already had been trying to cut back on shopping at stores like Target, which is just down the street from her house.

So when Dudley’s sister, whom she describes as a “millennial,” sent her an email that said, “You’re not shopping today, you’re not getting gas, you’re not doing this, you’re not doing that,” as part of Friday’s economic blackout, she decided to take part.

Dudley told her sister that she had planned to visit Pink Poodle Bridal in Detroit to shop for dresses for her wedding vow renewal in July. Her sister said she could go but she couldn’t buy anything.

Dudley listened. She talked with store owner Shawn Bumphers and said, “Today is going to be a slow day for you. Let’s keep you busy and keep your mind off of what’s going on. In solidarity with you, we’re gonna play in some dresses.”

Sure enough, Bumphers did say there were fewer shoppers out and about on Livernois on Friday.

Dudley spent three hours at Pink Poodle Bridal trying on several dresses.

“She’s not made a penny,” Dudley said. “But guess what? We made it a day, and we’re going to make it through this day.”

A second 24-hour economic blackout is planned for March 28 and a third for April 18. The impact of these efforts will be revealed in the coming months when data on retail sales from the U.S. Census Bureau is released and when public companies, like Target and Amazon, report earnings.

Contact Adrienne Roberts: [email protected].