Treatment of blacks in St. Louis prompts economic boycott
ST. LOUIS — Amid ongoing protests reinvigorated by the acquittal of a white former police officer in the death of a black suspect, several African-American faith and civic leaders in St. Louis announced details of an economic boycott campaign Thursday as the busiest retail period of the year approaches.
The effort is targeting about a dozen businesses, including the retail chain Target, the St. Louis-based grocer Schnucks Markets, and the Galleria shopping mall in suburban St. Louis.
The Rev. Dinah Tatman, organizer of the campaign, said African-Americans are subjected to excessive force by police, criminalized for minor infractions and saddled with long sentences. She also cited economic disparities, efforts to diminish voting rights and political redistricting that has made it harder for black people to have their voices heard in elections.
The timing of the boycott is no coincidence, coming as the Christmas shopping season gets underway. Tatman said some “strategic” protests are planned outside of businesses during the holiday season, but she declined to offer details.