Half Ass Activism: The Silent Killer of Change

Is Modern Activism Really Making Progress?

Before We Begin 😮‍💨

Let me start by addressing the highly critical tone of the title. I believe that unfiltered truth is the highest form of offering to all things in existence. Regardless of who you worship, what you believe, or what you do, the highest form of devotion to them is to tell the unmitigated truth.

The truth is that today activists don’t care to understand how businesses have evolved and therefore have less influence through traditional means of protest. Now before you get mad at the observer and reporter read this one all the way through. Then, if you still want to cuss me out I will read your hate if you send it to akyl@netizen.watch.

Please keep in mind that I am an apolitical Afro-Caribbean Black Man and a veteran so I may be covered by some of the DEI areas mentioned later. With that in mind, an apolitical observation is as close to neutral as you will get on these topics. So let's get to it:

The Situation

President Trump’s entry into office empowered very large and publicly traded companies to disband their DEI programs. The list of companies that have pink-slipped their DEI programs includes:

• PepsiCo

• Google

• Meta Platforms

• Amazon

• McDonald's

• Walmart

• Harley-Davidson

• Lowe's

• Ford Motor Company

• Target

• Morgan Stanley

• Citigroup

• Berkshire Hathaway

• KPMG US

In response, several of the affected groups have organized boycotts with various standards and recommendations on how individuals should be supported.

The Peoples Union called for a national blackout on February 28th.
Dr. Jamal Bryant of Dekalb County Georgia is calling for a nationwide 40-day fast. In support of the 40-Day Fast an anonymous, and seemingly Black community-sourced (refers to various groupings of African-descended peoples and organizations. This term does not indicate any centralization) sourced Website has been launched called targetfast.org.

Warnings of LGBTQ+ back lash because of DEI rollbacks have been teased as early as September 2024. At this time no LGBTQ+ boycotts have been formalized (so to speak), or at least that I could find.

As you review the following keep note of all of the areas covered versus the responders. It helps to paint the story of DEI.

Who Does DEI Cover Anyway

DEI initiatives seemed to use a strategy of casting a wide yet somewhat complex net that covers anyone who falls under one of the following categories:

1. Race & Ethnicity

• Black or African American

• Hispanic or Latino

• Asian and Pacific Islander

• Native American and Alaska Native

• Middle Eastern and North African (MENA)

• Multiracial individuals

2. Gender & Gender Identity

• Women (gender equity initiatives)

• Non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals

• Transgender individuals

3. Sexual Orientation

• LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, etc.)

• Asexual and Aromantic individuals

• Intersex individuals

4. Disability & Neurodiversity

• People with physical disabilities (mobility impairments, blindness, deafness, etc.)

• Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

• Neurodivergent individuals (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, etc.)

5. Age

• Older adults (typically 65+ facing age discrimination)

• Young professionals and early-career individuals (age-based inclusion efforts)

6. Socioeconomic Status

• Low-income individuals

• First-generation college students

• People experiencing homelessness or financial insecurity

7. Religion & Belief Systems

• Religious minorities (Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, etc.)

• Secular and atheist individuals

• Interfaith inclusion

8. Veterans & Military Status

• Veterans transitioning to civilian careers

• Active-duty military personnel

• Military spouses and dependents

9. Immigration & Nationality

• Immigrants and refugees

• Undocumented individuals & DACA recipients

• Multilingual workforce inclusion

10. Family & Parental Status

• Working parents (maternity/paternity leave, childcare support)

• Caregivers for elderly or disabled family members

• Single parents

Visuals are often better for understanding who is covered and more importantly, for this issue who is not covered.

Yep, you’re not misinterpreting this chart. DEI has so many areas of coverage that technically it includes everyone. This is because several of the DEI areas include major life transitions and the existence of a family.

That’s probably not who you think is the primary focus of DEI. Admittedly when I think about the initiative I think of it serving primarily women, people of color, and women of color. While a woman of color would technically be in all three of those areas the multiple areas of need highlight a greater degree of challenge.

Through this lens, I believe that the loudest voices in support of DEI represent the people who feel like they need it the most.

How Much Money Does Change Cost?

Being human means inheriting a rich tradition of effective protest. As the title would have foreshadowed to you, I believe that the response taken by many Americans by boycotting is a right, but I do not believe that people are so uncomfortable that they are willing to be effective.

The methods of the past need to be enhanced to become effective in 2025. The companies targeted for the boycotts are simply too fucking big to pay attention to pennies lost. Any genuine change to global corporate policies (which is how you have to look at each of these corporations, they aren’t just regional) needs to trigger a high enough financial loss for these companies to take notice.

Here is the estimated amount of dollar loss required for companies to take notice based on annual revenue, profit margins, and sensitivity to consumer spending:

Estimated Boycott Impact Threshold

• PepsiCo (2023 revenue: ~$91B) → Needs $5-10B loss to feel pressure

• Google (Alphabet Inc.) (2023 revenue: ~$300B) → Needs $15-25B loss

• Meta Platforms (2023 revenue: ~$120B) → Needs $8-15B loss

• Amazon (2023 revenue: ~$550B) → Needs $20-50B loss (depends on consumer-side impact)

• McDonald's (2023 revenue: ~$24B) → Needs $2-4B loss

• Walmart (2023 revenue: ~$600B) → Needs $30-50B loss

• Harley-Davidson (2023 revenue: ~$5B) → Needs $500M-1B loss

• Lowe's (2023 revenue: ~$97B) → Needs $5-10B loss

• Ford Motor Company (2023 revenue: ~$170B) → Needs $10-20B loss

• Target (2023 revenue: ~$110B) → Needs $5-15B loss

• Morgan Stanley (2023 revenue: ~$60B) → Needs $5-10B loss (market-driven, not consumer-driven)

• Citigroup (2023 revenue: ~$80B) → Needs $8-12B loss

• Berkshire Hathaway (2023 revenue: ~$300B) → Needs $20-50B loss (mainly market cap impact)

• KPMG US (estimated revenue: ~$35B) → Needs $3-5B loss (from lost corporate clients)

The facts of the matter would be that change costs more than a ship’s worth of tea today. That is the sobering reality.

To put these numbers into perspective the largest cryptocurrency hack was recently pulled off by North Korean Hackers. The cyber skills boasted by this nation-state-supported group earned the frequently sanctioned country a 1.5 Billion payday. DEI groups would need several of these hacks to make these companies care.

The Tragedy of Lukewarm Activism

"I feel like when you say 'activist,' you have to have so much clarity, and I don't always necessarily have so much clarity on how I want to help others, I just have this weird, deep urge to help other people. I'm trying to let God guide my body and use it as whatever kind of vehicle or vessel it needs to be."

SZA

Black churches and boycotts have their history within the history of Black Civil Rights within the U.S.A. During the 1950s and 1960s civil rights boycotts could be seen as awe-inspiring stories of using social engineering to influence change for the underdog. A true American dream story, that as a first-generation American with no native roots gave me hope that if, I fought through it like many of our civil rights activists did then, I had a place here. The black church is inseparable from every civil right history lesson and was always an integral key to change.

What’s interesting is that marginalized groups are not monolithic with their political ideals but the domination of socialist and Marxist ideas are present. Looking as early as the mid 1910’s and using African American political consciousness we see political beliefs were divided in two. African American civil rights leaders leaned towards academia and socialism as a source of empowerment; championed by figures like W.E.B DuBois. Afro-Caribbean immigrant radicals supported the ABB ( African Blood Brotherhood) which was a black communist organization. Marcus Garvey’s UNIA selected economic independence and black capitalism. These two ideals capture the core of marginalized persons decisions:

Black Communist and Socialist Thought Supported Through Academia - WEB DuBois is the first Black PhD graduate of Harvard. Although he was socialist within his ideals and died a member of the communist party while in Ghana in his 80’s, WEB DuBois strived for high levels of achievement within an education system that ran parallel to the Jim Crow error (😒 fuck you, that’s not a typo). If it is confusing to understand how a Communist can be considered a part of the system and problem the answer is respectability politics. WEB DuBois lived a life that forced him to seek acceptance within a capitalist society even though his ideals were the opposite. The reason for this can be found in how DuBois’ education was funded. The community of people who raised him and the church helped to pay for his education. Once DuBois got his education his philosophy resulted in a solution that explains why DEI fell to defining multiple marginalized groups. The idea of the “Talented Tenth” suggest that the saviors of the black community would be the most capable black men through academics. While WEB DuBois had a great mind he ignored the fact that you can’t think your way to a destination (while you can think while on the way to your destination, you can’t simply think to get to your destination). Ironically, while DuBois was against Marcus Garvey he ended up following the plan outlined by Garvey by retiring in Africa. DuBois is not alone in his support of communist and Marxist ideals. In fact here are a list of Black Marxist, Communist, and Socialist:

1. Paul Robeson – Singer, actor, and activist with strong ties to the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).

2. Claudia Jones – Trinidad-born British Communist, founder of The West Indian Gazette, and advocate for Black liberation.

3. C.L.R. James – Trinidadian historian and Marxist theorist, author of The Black Jacobins.

4. Angela Davis – Philosopher, former Black Panther, and CPUSA member.

5. Kwame Nkrumah – First president of Ghana, influenced by Marxism and Pan-African socialism.

6. Amílcar Cabral – Revolutionary leader of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, blended Marxist thought with anti-colonial struggle.

7. Frantz Fanon – Theorist of anti-colonial revolution, wrote The Wretched of the Earth.

8. George Jackson – Black Panther and Marxist revolutionary, author of Soledad Brother.

9. Harry Haywood – CPUSA member and leading proponent of the Black Belt thesis, advocating self-determination for African Americans.

11. Bayard Rustin – Civil rights leader and socialist, adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.

12. A. Philip Randolph – Labor leader and socialist, key figure in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

13. Fred Hampton – Black Panther Party leader, worked to unite the working class across racial lines.

14. Huey P. Newton – Co-founder of the Black Panther Party, engaged with Maoist and socialist ideas.

15. Thomas Sankara – Marxist revolutionary and former president of Burkina Faso.

16. Walter Rodney – Guyanese historian and socialist, wrote How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.

17. Fidel Castro (Afro-Cuban heritage) – Led the Cuban Revolution with socialist principles.

18. Chris Hani – South African anti-apartheid leader, communist, and general secretary of the SACP (South African Communist Party).

19. Julius Nyerere – Tanzanian socialist leader and advocate of African socialism (Ujamaa).

20. Bobby Seale – Co-founder of the Black Panther Party, influenced by socialist thought.

Do For Self && Demand the Same Respect As Everyone Else - Marcus Garvey, his UNIA, and his Black Star INC. was an inspiration to all African descended people worldwide. Politically, Garvey was a black capitalist. A number of failed businesses were launched and sabotaged by the FBI and it’s would be director J Edgar Hoover. The interesting part to me is I was always told as a young black boy that the government feared our unity, but Garvey’s story and the tale of Black Wall Street paint a picture of disdain for economic independence of African descended people. Marcus Garvey and the ideas of black capitalism did more for marginalized people than trying to fit in ever did. Although Garvey’s meeting with the leader of KKK was frowned upon, in my opinion it was a brilliant play for a group of people struggling to view themselves as equal. While Garvey didn’t have the issue of feeling inferior, his words were just as divisive within the Black community. The feud between Garvey and DuBois echoed sentiments of colorism as taunts flew back and forth. Garvey promoted Black economic self-sufficiency, entrepreneurship, and ownership, but his vision was rooted in Black nationalism and Pan-Africanism rather than purely profit-driven capitalism. Capitalism when coupled with strong values can be a massive source of benefit for marginalized communities. The problem is that business journeys are exactly that, and it can be easy to expect more from the most successful amongst us without understanding their challenges. For contrast with the first list here are a list of black capitalist:

1. Madam C.J. Walker – The first self-made Black female millionaire through her hair care empire.

2. A.G. Gaston – Built a business empire including a bank, insurance company, and funeral home in Birmingham, Alabama.

3. Reginald F. Lewis – One of the first Black billionaires, known for acquiring TLC Beatrice International.

4. Robert F. Smith – Billionaire investor, founder of Vista Equity Partners.

5. David Steward – Founder of World Wide Technology, one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the U.S.

6. Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) – Hip-hop mogul turned billionaire with investments in entertainment, liquor, and tech.

7. Rihanna (Robyn Fenty) – Built a beauty and fashion empire with Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty.

8. Oprah Winfrey – Media mogul and billionaire with investments in OWN, Weight Watchers, and more.

9. Tyler Perry – Built a media empire with Tyler Perry Studios and real estate investments.

10. Michael Jordan – Former NBA player turned billionaire with investments in Jordan Brand and sports teams.

11. Daymond John – Founder of FUBU and investor on Shark Tank.

12. Dr. Dre (Andre Young) – Built a fortune with Beats by Dre and other ventures.

13. LeBron James – Athlete turned investor with SpringHill Company, Blaze Pizza, and other holdings.

14. Serena Williams – Investor with Serena Ventures, backing women- and minority-owned startups.

15. Nas (Nasir Jones) – Early tech investor in Coinbase, Ring, and other startups.

16. Issa Rae – Media entrepreneur with investments in television, music, and business.

17. Tristan Walker – Founder of Walker & Company (acquired by Procter & Gamble).

18. Lisa Price – Founder of Carol’s Daughter, a natural hair care brand (acquired by L’Oréal).

19. Bozoma Saint John – Marketing executive and investor with influence in tech and media.

Regardless of the damaging aspects of both leaders; they inspired multiple generations of success amongst marginalized groups. Dr Martin Luther King Jr called DuBois “an intellectual giant exploring the frontiers of knowledge” and hailed Garvey for “making the negro feel like he was somebody.”

So why does it feel like the activists and intellectuals are missing something?

• DEI initiatives ending doesn’t mean the end of business contracts. So if you boycott Target and you were the main supporters of the minority owned brands in Target you ruin their business. The small up and coming brands that were started by people like you need you to continue supporting them. BOYCOTT BRANDS NOT DISTRIBUTERS!

• Rhetoric around boycotts sound like a deaf ear to the people you claim to want to help. The business articles have already jumped on the back of Black Owned Brands Beg Consumers Not To Boycott.

• Physical Boycotts are less impactful in 2025. Cyber skills and marketing are corner stones of these types of movements. The tone of targetfast.org is judgmental and shaming, not at all like it’s welcoming you to participate in any change. In contrast the Free Palestine Boycott Website seems to be understanding and welcoming their audience to participate. Civil Rights leaders were geniuses of their time. Even still, it’s not realistic to expect tactics that worked more than 50 years ago to stand true today against technology that was developed to mitigate them.

• Black Pastors seem to assume that calls for boycotts means All Black People, what is far more realistic is max 35% of Black People participate. So assuming for every 20 black people that 7 support the boycotts; with such a relaxed boycott, and without accounting for drop off rates $543million is the loss to the yearly revenue of Target. 1/10th of the amount needed to get Target to feel it. Target can afford that loss, but can the black business owners that partner with Target?

• The biggest place that DEI made an impact was with government jobs not consumer corporations. Why aren’t we talking about opportunities for marginalized people who lost their federal jobs working with some of these minority owned brands and brands who haven’t ended their DEI program?

It seems that the things we fight against externally are some of the fiercest enemies inside the house as well. Prejudice and bias of beliefs and ideals. The spirits of civil rights legends must be looking down shaking their heads at how the intellectuals and capitalists of the same group are still fighting about how change should happen. Or maybe I just look forward for the days when it is demonstrated that we are not valued in one place, we look up at the many doors that welcome us and smile because we’ve built and manage quite a few.

So if you must boycott: BOYCOTT BRANDS, so you can be very selective.

Are we focused on meaningful action, or just the illusion of doing something?