Corporations falling in line with the movement to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and pledges are about to feel the loss of consumer support. On Friday (Feb. 28), potentially millions of people will participate in a 24-hour national blackout of major retailers.

The movement dubbed “Al Sharpton’s DEI Boycott Plan” is supported by several organizations like The People's Union USA as a strategic response to an executive order issued in late January. The order signed by President Donald Trump makes inclusion-based messaging and practices illegal. Promises of increased diversity and racial civility were galvanized by the unrest seen across the country in 2020. Within the last five years, dozens of companies have promised to support Black and underserved communities in various ways that would progress access to opportunities — all of which are threatened by the ongoing rollbacks.

Participants in the coming boycott have been advised that “corporations and banks only care about their bottom line. Disrupting the economy for even one day sends a powerful message. If they don’t listen, we make the next blackout longer. Our numbers are powerful. This is how we make history!”

How is Rev. Al Sharpton involved?

On January 20, the same day as the inauguration, the activist proclaimed during a rally, “We are going to announce the two companies that we’re going after, and we’re going to ask everybody in this country — Black, white, brown, gay, straight, woman, trans — don’t buy where you are not respected.” He called the DEI reversals an undoing of the “remedy to the racial institutional bigotry.” However, the National Action Network founder is not leading the charge for the Feb. 28 blackout despite his name being attached to the widely circulated posts online.

“We appreciate the spirit of the various efforts, but the only one that I and NAN have authorized will be announced at our national convention this April,” he said in a statement released on Feb. 25. The public figure also revealed that a council of partners is determining “what companies have reneged on DEI, what their profit margins are, and how we can use Black buying power to make a statement.”

Is the NAACP involved in combating DEI rollbacks?

As previously reported by REVOLT, the NAACP issued its Black Consumer Advisory on Feb. 15, laying out guidelines on how the Black dollar can be leveraged to hold companies accountable for their DEI pledges. “These rollbacks reinforce historical barriers to progress under the guise of protecting ‘meritocracy,’ a concept often used to justify exclusion,” said the organization. Its call-to-action aims to make the loss of the Black community’s $1.8 trillion-plus buying power felt through patronizing businesses that support DEI, calling out companies abandoning the initiatives, supporting Black-owned businesses, advocating for change, and staying informed of the mounting rollbacks and their impact.

“The NAACP recognizes that the rollback of DEI initiatives is a direct attack on Black economic progress, civil rights, and the principles of equity and fairness,” continued the advisory. Furthermore, it reiterated that these sweeping efforts of the current administration are “actions that are part of a broader effort to reverse gains in civil rights and social justice.”