The Black Lives Matter movement has
continued with its tradition of boycotting “white companies” for the seventh
year in a row during the month-long festive season. The movement has also urged
support for “Black Xmas”.

Black Xmas began in 2014 in response to the
police shooting of John Crawford, a Black man who was fatally shot in a Walmart
in Ohio while holding a BB gun that was for sale in the store.

Also Read: Kenosha shooting: Kyle Rittenhouse backs BLM, says ‘not a racist person’

“Black Lives Matter has been challenging
people to ‘dream of a #BlackXmas,’ to intentionally use our economic resources
to disrupt white-supremacist-capitalism and build Black community,” read a blog
post on BLM’s website.

“Let’s harness our economic power to
disrupt white-supremacist-capitalism and build Black community.”

On Black Friday, the #BlackLivesMatter
shared a post on Instagram, calling people to “support Black-led-Black-serving
organizations,” and “buy exclusively from Black-owned businesses.”

 “Move your money out of white-corporate banks
that finance our oppression and open accounts with Black-owned banks,” read the
post.

Also Read: Kyle Rittenhouse takes stand, says first man he shot threatened to kill him

“White-supremacist-capitalism uses policing
to protect profits and steal Black life,” it continued. “Let’s use every tool
in our toolbox…including our dollars…to end white-supremacist capitalism.”

The post also directed readers to go to the
official blackxmas.org site for resources.

The homepage reads, “We’re dreaming of a
#Blackxmas. That means no spending with white companies from 11/26/2021 – 01/01/2022.”

Also Read: T20 World Cup: De Kock takes the knee on return for Proteas vs Sri Lanka

Many on social media criticised the
movement, calling Black Xmas “racist,” “derogatory” and “segregating,” and
questioning what would happen if it was the other way around, and white people
called for a month-long boycott of Black-owned companies.

Black business owners have struggled to run
their business during the pandemic, with many having to permanently close, more
than double the rate that white businesses did between February 2020 and April
2020, CNBC reported.