The power of boycotts

This chapter will explore the possibilities, pitfalls, and legacies of the consumer boycott as it has been wielded by workers, consumers, and transnational activists, particularly since the 19th century. To do so, it will first discuss “classic” labor boycotts that launched consumer campaigns as extensions of strikes, as well as racial justice boycotts that have called attention to discrimination in the workplace and beyond. Examples include “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaigns in the Jim Crow South and the United Farm Workers’ grape and lettuce boycotts of the late 20th century. Second, this chapter will explore transnational activists’ use of the boycott in anti-colonial and anti-capitalist movements - such as in the campaign against apartheid in South Africa - and how these campaigns have impacted working conditions. Finally, this chapter will discuss more recent “buycotts” that have harnessed consumer power to the global economy and oppose child labor in Indian carpetmaking industries, for example. Given these histories, I argue that the boycott tool has the potential to powerfully shape not only working conditions but also race relations and justice, geopolitics, and the environment.