Black Out Black Friday Boycott: Russell Simmons, Jesse Williams, Other Celebrities Protest in Response to Darren Wilson Grand Jury Ruling
Celebrities are calling for consumers to boycott shopping on Black Friday in protest of the grand jury decision that cleared Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson of any charges in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.
The boycott, which was prompted on Monday after a grand jury failed to indict the white cop who fatally shot the 18-year-old in August, calls for a one-day moratorium on spending to protest human rights violations and police brutality. The boycott is being spearheaded by the Blackout for Human Rights campaign, which aims to "to raise awareness that builds and maintains pressure on the instruments of power until we are satisfied that the current threat has passed."
To help spread awareness about the campaign, a number of famous figures are using social media and the hashtags #NotOneDime and #BlackoutBlackFriday to sway people from shopping on one of the biggest day in retail.
"Together we can stand up + spark change. Join @UnitedBlackout for #BlackoutBlackFriday," tweeted hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons on Tuesday.
"We have the power to change our nation. Stand up with @UnitedBlackout on #BlackoutBlackFriday," tweeted "The Vampire Diaries" actress Kat Graham.
Likewise, TV star Jesse Williams posted several messages on Twitter in support of the boycott, including "No Just, No Profit. Corporate/public power only speaks $. So let's talk to 'em" and "Recognize the stranglehold that corporate money has on the neck of public policy, including the levers of [in]justice. #BlackoutBlackFriday."
Ryan Coogler, the director of a 2013 film about police brutality called "Fruitvale Station," said that he is supporting the boycott due to the eruptions of "human rights violations committed by public servants."
"There are three ways you can express yourself," Coogler said, according to CNN. "You can vote. You can protest. You can choose how you spend your money that goes to America's corporations that hold a lot of power."
Ava DuVernay, director of the upcoming film "Selma," added that "What #blackoutblackfriday is trying to do is to create ongoing pressure to change the conversation among conscious people of all colors."
According to Nielsen, black consumers currently hold $1 trillion in buying power in spite of historically high unemployment rates among black Americans.
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