>> Consumers across the country are trying to hit large corporations where they hurt their bottom line.

The Group People's Union USA is urging buyers to stop shopping at major companies like Walmart Target and Amazon in protest of corporate control and the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The first of the boycott happened last month with more scheduled in the coming weeks.

Joining us now with more on the impact of such boycotts are Robert Hansard associate professor of African-American culture and history at Columbia College.

Chicago and on Zoom, Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League.

Gentlemen, thank you both for joining us.

Welcome back.

I'm Marc Morial, starting starting with you, please.

The National Urban League you over backers of this movement.

Why are you encouraging consumers to participate?

>> We're encouraged consumers to be intelligent about how they spend their money.

What's happened in this?

Times because of the political line.

Conservative interests, Republican interest control the White House, the House and Senate.

There's a frustration in the community that only through the use of messages sent too many of the to businesses and upwards that rolling back equal opportunity rolling back the we knew rolling back commitments that the nation is made and that many companies made in the refresh and In the murder of George Floyd is not something that week.

trouble.

And this may by those that would.

In effect.

Turning back on an important constituency consumes black Americans represent at least 2 trillion, roughly spending to he knows number gets 5.

Asian American cinema gets street.

That's significant.

And this is what lot brown consumers represent in America today.

>> Robert Hansard, we all are familiar with the historical significance of economic boycotts today still have the potential to be effective.

>> Do I mean the ones that we remember, you know, fit certain criteria.

I mean, link with something You know, I think about Montgomery Boik bus boycotts and obviously the issue of desegregation there or even if you're going to history, look his that are is Boyd in Nashville, Tennessee, who did a protest again.

Streetcars in a 19, 0, 5, 19.

0, 6, But there's always there's that legal piece or as Mark was talking about something social or act at the call, that brings to bear to questions of how corporations are behaving There's a galvanizing issue that can bring things together to really make have success in the interest of, for example, the Montgomery bus boycott the the the demand as a result of that boycott was was pretty concrete.

>> Desegregate the buses.

Yeah, it is.

Is the demand here as as evident as a parent?

>> I think it is.

I just think that that the messaging and the need for the messaging and the communication around it have to sort all galvanizing the same kinds of ways as well.

we want all collectively talk about this.

We want to draw on histories of these part movements to get So it sort of all linked together.

How do we talk a common language?

How do you reach people who may not necessarily be on social media might still be very aware and want to participate so tough for me.

That's part of the challenge.

Marmora also Miller.

>> Go ahead.

You this that addition to boycotts and use the term selected purchase.

They're also by counts.

So there's been an effort by many of my colleagues and civil Sharpton, Dylan Campbell, of the Black Women's Roundtable who engage in many others in by mean they have said that, for example, company like Costco event, polls, a shareholder resolution of all back to diversity, equity and inclusion by their actions dollars.

So speaks.

think you're going to see in this movement.

The combination it's about intelligence spending.

So I recall through History and a little time New Orleans my father and mother involved in this.

That drives street boycotts, a dry street.

Was a black shopping district on those.

A significant number of the merchants were Jewish merchants, but they did not hire.

Like people shop there like try close on there, whereas you could go can oust him like shop the could buy clothes.

So the community leaders and 19 60's letter, effort don't shop when you can't work, go buy can work.

It opened up, tries change, try soon.

So I think you're right that sometimes objectives have to concrete.

I think in this instance, all rollback of diversity inclusion means I would treat from a commitment to equal opportunity to civil rights and we have to stand strong against every way at the National Urban League.

We brought a lawsuit a federal lawsuit represent about coming to the Defense fund against the Trump administration.

Challenge 3, anti diversity, equity inclusion executive There are a number of other things.

We have worked very hard also in what are called aggressive diplomacy speaking to business leaders and business owners.

I think people should know JP Morgan Chase, which air pressure.

To drop a sunburst.

The equity inclusion said no, we're going to drop and we We will re cherished.

And so they record.

3 cancer goes diversity opportunity and inclusion.

So I think you're going to see the real question is what are the actions?

What is the commitment?

Is the institution committed to conclusion equal opportunity, giving black people opportunity employees to business with the company and also the hat, a commitment of investments, whether it's philanthropic, a business investments with black owned businesses like institutions.

So I want to get a little data in here because data for momentum.

Calmer show Amazon sales increased one percent on February 28th.

>> Compared to the average average previous 8 Fridays.

And during the Amazon targeted boycott from March 7th to the 14th sales, increased 5.9% compared to the 8 week average.

Robert, the creator of this movement, John Schwartz, has organized several additional boycott spread out over the next few months as well.

Targeting the specific businesses, as we've mentioned, Wal-Mart Target Amazon, Nestle, which is a major maker of a lot of things you'll find in your grocery store as well as McDonald.

Is it effective to target multiple corporations all at once and at different times or should organizers focus their efforts on on one goal?

>> I think it can be.

I think you can be flexible.

Asked was sort of describe in terms of the sort of boycotting bike otter, these kinds of things I for me, it's about strategy.

It's about getting folks in the room having the right kinds of critical conversations.

>> So that you can reach a wide range of people and you can get many, many people engage in these movements.

I think part of the challenge, at least for myself was that, you know, I said again, there's so many folks who maybe aren't connected with social media who might have missed some of You know, and I know this is happening.

You know what, that the articulation of churches are involved.

>> How community groups and other organizations are stepping up to the challenge on even meeting in person feature of day.

If you look at some of the old examples from Montgomery bus boycott those folks are getting together.

You're excited.

You have people at work 9 to 5 all day and they had enough time and energy to walk to the church and get there to rally to get ready to again tomorrow.

Walk again.

Seems like there needs to be more done and done differently.

>> organize, not just social media that we've gotten a little bit dependent on it.

Perhaps overly didn't get to go back a little old school, maybe to some of the other ways that these previously organized.

That's what made it work.

I mean, historically and you know, sure.

I mean, some of mine is from reading from books, but also for my parents and my family.

Another who taught me about the movement and what it's about.

And there has to be that personal I mean, the end of the social media component is significant but has to be in Congress without There's the boycott.

There's what Marc Morial refer to also as the by caught that some folks are getting into.

Robert, what more could organizers and protesters due to be achieving be whatever the goal is, public information and sharing of information more clearly and articulating what exactly it is and why it is that we need to boycott these folks.

And if there are other alternatives.

And and this is some of this is happening I'm certain.

>> There other alternatives for by very clear opportunities to access other alternatives on more and more about if you look at what boycott is, if you look at the definition is individual action that is ultimately designed to prompt others to get engaged.

that has to be the criteria how you wage, whether or not it's effective.

Everything from South Africa to, you know, apartheid movement and other kinds of things to the civil rights movement to the early ideas of the civil rights movement.

They drew upon sort of different ways of thinking everything from people who think about accommodation all the way up to maybe the birth of integration modern ideas about civil rights and all the place.

Yeah.

So we're just about out of time.

Marc Morial got a minute left the Trump administration.

We know that Attack Dei initiatives at the federal level.

>> Which have now trickle down to public and private sectors.

What do you think it says that corporations were so quick to abandon those initiatives early on after almost everybody adopted.

Then in 2020 post, George Floyd.

>> Well, as many will question, whether that really committed, it's some cases why they would be so easily in Tempe.

By president, by the administration.

I you know, in this world you have to stand for your values, Shep, to stand for what you believe in.

you know, I applaud those corporations and other leaders who in the face oppression.

You know, there's pressure campaign being waged bought group of people and they're going to corporations behind the scenes and threatening them.

If they don't drop the first the equity inclusion and threatening with a balancing threatening with boycotts from the community.

And so we need to be aware that no, this is happening in a vacuum, which why we have to bring pressure.

One of the things also got to do.

It's called the question with elected officials.

Those elected officials who want 4 seats in the Congress and Senate.

Are you committed?

That was Republican State.

You're equivocal commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, equal opportunity and civil rights.

We've got a call that question.

You've got to earn my vote.

You've Eiffel, which commit.

>> Okay.

That's what we'll have to leave Robert Hansard