THIS. A 24 HOUR ECONOMIC BOYCOTT THAT STARTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, NOW BLOWING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO A MUCH BIGGER MOVEMENT. 12 NEWS CYREIA SANDLIN SHARES THE LOCAL GROUPS CALLING FOR YOU TO PROTEST COMPANIES WHO ARE GETTING RID OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS. ON A FRIDAY MORNING AT THE MILWAUKEE ARTIST RESOURCE NETWORK IN THE HISTORIC THIRD WARD, THE DOORS ARE OPEN FOR THE ECONOMIC BLACKOUT. ONE OF MY FELLOW WORKERS CAME UP TO ME AND WAS LIKE, DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BLACKOUT? AND I WAS LIKE, NO, TELL ME ABOUT IT. CAFE MANAGER GRACE SAUNDERS DID HER RESEARCH ONLINE, LEARNING ABOUT THE EFFORT TO BOYCOTT MAJOR CORPORATIONS MAKING BIG POLICY CHANGES. YOU REMOVE THE DIVERSITY AND YOU REMOVE VISIBILITY FOR MORE PEOPLE. SAUNDERS SAYS UNLIKE THOSE CORPORATIONS, MARNE CELEBRATES ARTISTS AND CUSTOMERS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS. WE SUPPORT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION. AT LEAST ONE LOCAL ADVOCACY GROUP IS JOINING THE MOVEMENT VOCES DE LA FRONTERA, URGING CONSUMERS TO ONLY SPEND THEIR DOLLARS ON FRIDAY AT PLACES THAT VALUE INCLUSION. IT’S REALLY FOCUSED ON BOYCOTTING LARGE COMPANIES THAT HAVE GOTTEN RID OF THEIR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES. CHRISTINE NEWMAN ORTIZ IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF VOCES DE LA FRONTERA, AN IMMIGRANT ADVOCACY GROUP WITH STRONG ROOTS IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY. PEOPLE’S UNION USA ORGANIZED FRIDAY’S BLACKOUT ON LINE AT WALMART, MCDONALD’S, TARGET TARGET’S ROLLBACK OF DEI PROGRAMS LAST MONTH, LEADING SOME CUSTOMERS TO BOYCOTT, NOT JUST TODAY BUT PERMANENTLY. HOPING THESE CORPORATIONS WILL PAY ATTENTION. I ALWAYS LOVED TARGET BECAUSE THEY WERE SO INCLUSIVE, AND THEN I THOUGHT, WELL, IF THEY’RE NOT GOING TO STICK WITH WHAT THEY STAND FOR, THEN I’M NOT GOING TO GIVE THEM MY MONEY ANYMORE. IF ENOUGH PEOPLE REALLY START THINKING ABOUT IT, IT COULD CHANGE THE WAY THAT THESE CORPORATIONS HANDLE THINGS. IN MILWAUKEE CYREIA SANDLIN WISN 12 NEWS. AND THE BOYCOTTS ORGANIZERS INSTEAD WANT YOU TO SUPPORT SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES. MEANWHILE, VOCES DE LA F
Milwaukee group joins national boycott of major retailers, urgers consumers to shop small
A nationwide movement that started online is calling for consumers not to spend money for 24 hours at major retailers.
Updated: 8:32 PM CST Feb 28, 2025
A 24-hour economic boycott that started on social media, is now blowing up across the country to a much bigger movement.One Milwaukee group is joining in, calling for consumers to protest those specific companies getting rid of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.On Friday morning, the doors were open at the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network in the Historic Third Ward.Cafe manager Grace Saunders did her research online, learning about the effort to boycott major corporations that are making big policy changes.”One of my fellow co-workers came up to me and was like, do you know about the blackout? And I was like, no, tell me about it,” Saunders said. “You remove the diversity, and you remove visibility for more people.” Saunders says unlike those corporations, MARN celebrates artists and customers of all backgrounds.”We support diversity, equity, inclusion for sure,” she said.At least one advocacy group is joining the movement. Voces De La Frontera, an immigrant rights group with roots in the Latino community, is urging consumers to only spend their dollars on Friday at places that value inclusion.”It’s really focused strategically on boycotting large companies that have gotten rid of their anti-discrimination policies,” said Christine Newmann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces De La Frontera.The People’s Union USA organized Friday’s blackout online, asking shoppers not to spend money at big corporations for 24 hours. This includes companies like Walmart, Target and McDonald’s.Target’s rollback of DEI programs last month has some customers boycotting not just Friday, but permanently, hoping these corporations will pay attention.Nicole Collins canceled her Target subscription service.”I always loved Target because they were so inclusive, and then I thought, if they’re not going to stick with what they stand for, I’m not going to give them my money anymore,” Collins said. “If enough people really start thinking about it, it could change the way these corporations handle things,” Gerra McCormick said.Top HeadlinesPassenger dead, driver arrested in Milwaukee rollover crashMilwaukee teen goes on armed robbery spree, leads police on 21-mile chaseOver $9,000 worth of goods stolen from closed Thiensville restaurant, 3 people chargedWATCH Police squad hit and run
MILWAUKEE —A 24-hour economic boycott that started on social media, is now blowing up across the country to a much bigger movement.
One Milwaukee group is joining in, calling for consumers to protest those specific companies getting rid of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
On Friday morning, the doors were open at the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network in the Historic Third Ward.
Cafe manager Grace Saunders did her research online, learning about the effort to boycott major corporations that are making big policy changes.
“One of my fellow co-workers came up to me and was like, do you know about the blackout? And I was like, no, tell me about it,” Saunders said. “You remove the diversity, and you remove visibility for more people.”
Saunders says unlike those corporations, MARN celebrates artists and customers of all backgrounds.
“We support diversity, equity, inclusion for sure,” she said.
At least one advocacy group is joining the movement. Voces De La Frontera, an immigrant rights group with roots in the Latino community, is urging consumers to only spend their dollars on Friday at places that value inclusion.
“It’s really focused strategically on boycotting large companies that have gotten rid of their anti-discrimination policies,” said Christine Newmann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces De La Frontera.
The People’s Union USA organized Friday’s blackout online, asking shoppers not to spend money at big corporations for 24 hours.
This includes companies like Walmart, Target and McDonald’s.
Target’s rollback of DEI programs last month has some customers boycotting not just Friday, but permanently, hoping these corporations will pay attention.
Nicole Collins canceled her Target subscription service.
“I always loved Target because they were so inclusive, and then I thought, if they’re not going to stick with what they stand for, I’m not going to give them my money anymore,” Collins said.
“If enough people really start thinking about it, it could change the way these corporations handle things,” Gerra McCormick said.
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