While some people have taken to the streets to protest the recent officer-involved shootings, others are taking part in a silent protest that targets corporate America.
The boycott - called #NotOneDime - started on social media. The premise is to encourage African-American people to avoid big box stores and to only spend their money with black owned businesses.
"There’s been lots of consumer boycotts tried of over the years," said economist Dr. Finley Edwards. "My impression is that they don’t usually succeed very well."
Edwards said that's because of what is called free-riding. That’s when people encourage others to boycott, even when they’re not actually willing to do it themselves.
The scholar said free-riding can make or break a consumer boycott
"The success of the boycott really doesn’t depend on how much African-Americans spend or how many trips they make, but whether they’re actually willing to follow through," Edwards said.
Saddiq Granger, the president of the Waco Black Poet Society said he plans to make sure the boycott is a success.
"I tried to get as many people as I can involved," Granger said.
Trying to get people to avoid major stores may seem impossible, but Granger said finding alternatives to big box stores is not that difficult in Waco.
"We have a network of a lot of people who don't have stories, but they have a business. So, I know where to go if I need to get something," he said.
There are several versions of the #NotOneDime boycott floating around on social media. They vary in lengths of time from one week, to one year.
Copyright KXXV 2016. All rights reserved.
