I’ve always been a principled shopper. In 2011 I wrote about it in my blog:
“Trying to convert my family into having principles about their shopping! I base my purchases on the values of the company as best I can. I rarely darken the doors of Walmart and I nearly always buy fair trade chocolate since I learned about child slavery in the chocolate fields. I don’t go to McDonald’s or other fast food chains–not only because of the unhealthy food but also because of the environmental devastation they cause...But I do feel I am fighting the good fight alone sometimes!”
Fourteen years later, I’m disgusted with the oligarchs kowtowing to the hypocrisy, corruption, and evils in the current administration. They displayed their rotten values for the world to see at the inauguration and have cut their DEI programs and backtracked on all their corporate social responsibility commitments. I am done with that!
This Lent I’m fasting from the corporate overlords:
Target
Around the time I envisioned my Corporate Oligarch Fast, my husband decided to fast from Target after seeing that Black faith leaders called on their congregations to do a "Target Fast" for 40 days for Lent. The Target fast was prompted by their disavowal of DEI and recanting its pledge to spend $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025. Black people spend over $12 million a day at Target and have incredible brand loyalty, hence the urge to embrace Black spending power and redirect spending to Black and ally businesses.
How I’m getting around it: As a Target credit card user, I have enjoyed the free shipping and convenience of online ordering. I’ll just pay shipping and buy from smaller companies.
Amazon
Amazon is known for stifling small businesses, exploiting workers, and opposing unions while raking in billions in profits. I know boycotting Amazon is more difficult for people living in remote locations, but for me it's just a little inconvenience. We are all so addicted to Amazon! With $638 billion in 2024 revenue, the retailer is going to surpass Walmart this year as the country’s largest company. Can we break our collective habit?
Just this morning I read that starting on March 28, everything people say on their Amazon Echo will be sent to Amazon!! This shredding of privacy is another huge reason to quit the behemoth!
How I’m getting around it: Amazon lures us in with Prime free shipping and it can be hard to resist. I suggest using Amazon’s powerful search engine and purchasing directly from manufacturers. I recently bought a plastic-free air fryer/toaster/convection oven from the manufacturer after reading Amazon reviews. I’m buying more at Costco and Fred Meyer (Kroger), which have not abandoned their DEI goals. Ebay is another option. And I'm planning to do even more thrift shopping!
Washington Post
I cancelled my subscription after Bezos began cozying up to the One Who Should Not Be Named. Now he's also destroyed the Post's editorial department. I also sent an email explaining why I cancelled.
How I’m getting around it: I’ve found a ton of other independent progressive or balanced news sources. If you want to keep up with the political mess, Heather Cox Richardson and Robert Reich are must-follows. Other sources include Tangle, Chop Wood Carry Water, and Common Dreams.
Other Amazon-affiliated companies
Amazon owns a ton of affiliates: Zappos, Ring, Whole Foods, Kindle, Audible, Twitch, Prime Video, Goodreads, IMDB, Amazon Web Services, Alexa, Diapers.com, etc.
How I’m getting around it: The only one of those I regularly use is Goodreads, and I will be switching over to the Black-woman-owned Storygraph this Lent. And holy cow, do I really need Amazon Prime Video when faced with so many alternatives?
AirBnB
Already experiencing challenges because of poor customer service, exorbitant fees, causing skyrocketing rents, crooked property owners, and properties in the Israel-occupied West Bank settlements, AirBnB is now even more problematic.
AirBnB’s former co-owner Joe Gebbia voted for the One Who Must Not Be Named and recently joined the highly nonefficient and corrupt DOGE (he also serves on the Tesla board). AirBnB has not handled this situation well. Instead of contacting their property owners to give them a heads-up, the company only made a statement after the news went public. The head of corporate communications claims Gebbia is only on the board and no longer part of the daily operations. However, he still earns 7% of the profits (that’s $91 on our upcoming 6-night booking).
How I’m getting around it: As soon as I Iearned about Gebbia joining the bandwagon destroying the country, I cancelled one of my overnight bookings for an upcoming road trip. I also contacted the owner of our six-day booking to ask if she uses any other booking sites. She was not aware of Gebbia’s moves and was equally disgusted, realizing why she’d had many cancellations recently. I proposed we contract with each other directly, since we both have excellent reviews. She sent me a contract and I paid her. That situation, done and dusted.
In the future, I will look at VRBO and enroottravel.com/black-owned-stays/. VRBO doesn’t have as many listings as AirBnB, but if we all boycott, maybe that will change? If you’re a person of color, check out Noirbnb and Innclusive, alternatives to Airbnb that cater to people of color.
Wix
I recently noticed that Wix, my host of this very website, is an Israeli company. When I went down the Wix rabbit hole, I also discovered it had fired an Irish employee who spoke out for Palestinian rights and then prevented her from finding new work in the tech sector. How did I not know this? I’ve been giving them $300/year for my website, domain, and email!
How I’m getting around it: Goodbye Wix! It’s going to take some unraveling, because I’ll need to revamp and move my website and reach out to past clients whose websites I set up on Wix. I’ll probably move to Squarespace…investigating my options. I’ll also research the background of all the other software my company uses.
I’m far from perfect!
When we recently met with our wonderful financial manager, I asked her about socially responsible investments. It seems ridiculous to focus on directing hundreds of dollars away from oligarchs when I’m not examining the larger amount we have in investments…and as someone with a background in corporate social responsibility, this move is LONG OVERDUE. We’ll be meeting with her again in a few weeks to discuss our options.
Google has also dismantled its DEI program, but those connections are harder to untangle as a small business and communications manager! My son’s girlfriend just told me about Ecosia, an eco-friendly browser, which I’ll investigate. I often use Gmail to log into other sites, and that’s something I can shift more easily. I have a similar situation with Meta…it’s more difficult to ditch given my career (and all the content I have on Facebook).
The child slave labor chocolate situation continues to be a problem. I thought things had improved and I haven’t been as careful with my chocolate buying in recent years. I’ll be refocusing on that again as well!
Want to join me in my corporate overlord fast? Do something for the common good!
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