Forcing our presence is effective. But so Is our absence.
Sit-Ins are great tool to make a cause seen and bring it to a community that may otherwise be indifferent to the situation that leads to the need for such pursuits. But sometimes, the weight of a systemic absence can be just as strong a message to be made and an action to be taken. The Montgomery Bus Boycotts ring a bell, as the boycotting of segregated public transport eventually led a court to bring desegregation to busses. By cutting off the profit from institutions who refuse racial liberation, they are reminded that our business is contingent on the business's stance in the face of their bottom dollars living conditions.
Even more than cutting off the offender's source of income, Boycotts are a great way to educate others about the places they shop. Where those places stand on important social issues that may be important to their base. Connecting the company's financial interest to their part in social issues, makes people privier to the role money plays in our disconnect and problems. And through that gained knowledge, they can begin to put their money where their heart is. It may not be as active of a protest as Sitting In, but it has an impact that matters.
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