Flexing our economic muscles

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Every year, corporations expect us to line up, log on, and lose our minds for Black Friday. They expect us to stretch our budgets, drain our accounts, and pretend that “doorbuster deals” are some kind of patriotic ritual. But this year, a coalition led by Black Voters Matter, Indivisible, and Until Freedom is calling on us to do something radically simple – and profoundly powerful: A spending freeze from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1. Related Stories No Black Friday splurges. No retail rush. No “Buy Now” pressure. Why? Because we ain’t buying it – literally and figuratively. Why this freeze matters Let’s start with the basics: Black consumers wield more than $1.7 trillion in annual spending power. Our dollars keep the retail economy humming. Our purchases shape markets, trends, strategies, and profits. Retailers depend on the holiday season to make their year – and they depend heavily on us. So, when we withhold our dollars, even for four days, the impact is real. Corporations measure every hour, every transaction, every data point. They know exactly when consumers shift behavior – and why. A coordinated dip in spending during the biggest retail weekend of the year is not a...