As the holidays approach, I’ve been thinking about the kind of community I want to help build. Many families are struggling, and every dollar we spend can either leave town or strengthen the place we call home. That’s why I’m joining the national “We Ain’t Buying It” campaign.
The upcoming holiday shopping weekend accounts for nearly 20% of all retail sales nationwide. Over $10 billion is spent annually on Black Friday alone. It’s a rare moment when millions of us make spending decisions at the same time, and that gives us real power. Amazon, Target, and Home Depot have used their influence in ways that harm marginalized communities and undermine workers. Collectively, they have undermined DEI policies (Target), allowed ICE to run rampant in their stores (Home Depot), and donated to appease the Trump Regime (Amazon).
This isn’t about skipping holiday gift-giving. It’s about spending to reflect kindness, fairness, and the principles that strengthen a democratic and pluralistic society. When we put our money into community-run efforts that share food, help families through hard times, and keep resources local, we are choosing people over billionaires who profit without being accountable to the public good. We are telling big corporations that they need to do better if they want our economic support.
For this reason, I am boycotting all non-essential consumer purchasing on Black Friday, shopping local and small on Saturday, donating to mutual aid organizations on Sunday, and abstaining from e-commerce on Cyber Monday.
Let’s spread the word and celebrate this season by giving back to the communities that give us so much. Learn more at weaintbuyingit.com.
Miriam DeFant
Shutesbury