#BlackoutBlackFriday Returns to Uplift Economic Resistance and Black Art

By Sameer Rao Nov 21, 2018

Blackout for Human Rights launched #BlackoutBlackFriday five years ago to replace Black Friday’s unapologetic consumerism with a celebration of Black art and a boycott of retailers. The campaign returns this Friday (November 23).

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rntThe collective—which "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler created to mobilize Black artists and their allies against human rights abuses in the United States—explains the ongoing rationale for #BlackoutBlackFriday in a statement on its website:

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Our lives are joined by the money we spend as consumers. Today, more than ever, the levers of power—civic, corporate, industrial, capital—are tied to one another and to our economy. The U.S. economy depends on our shopping, especially during the holiday season. But the lives of our brothers and sisters are worth more than the dollars we can save on holiday gifts. Together, we can make a historic stand against racism and spark change. Let’s demonstrate our unity. #BlackoutBlackFriday is an inclusive and intersectional movement that fights for all of our brothers and sisters, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, creed, religion, nationality or gender. #BlackoutBlackFriday is deeply rooted in the revolutionary power of the people, the potent power of hope, the radical power of dissent and the influential power of artists. Together, we have the power to make our voices heard.


Blackout for Human Rights will announce various free #BlackoutBlackFriday events over the next two days. For one scheduled event, the group partners with the Film Society of Lincoln Center for a screening of various works by Terence Nance. The filmmaker and multimedia artist behind "Random Acts of Flyness" and the upcoming sequel to "Space Jam" will also appear for a post-screening conversation with fellow director and producer Michèle Stephenson ("American Promise," Rada Film Group).

Follow the campaign on Twitter.

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