A nationally syndicated radio host named Warren Ballentine is urging black Americans to participate in what he's calling a "black out" tomorrow. In essence, he wants black Americans to not buy a single product tomorrow to try to send a message that "blacks are fed up with racism and injustice, and he rejects criticism that his campaign is un-American." It appears many civil rights organizations are backing the idea themselves, saying it's time something was done.

Not that I don't support a good cause here and there, but I'm kind of hesitant on this one. One reason is that I'm just now hearing about it, and if it weren't for CNN, I still wouldn't know anything about it. Obviously, Mr. Ballentine's show isn't heard in my area, and I have no idea how many areas across the country it is heard in. Therefore, it's a "black out" (why not just call it boycott?) that's not going to be very well attended because the masses don't know about it.

Another reason is that, hearing about it last minute, if there are things I need, it means I have to run out of the house now, after 6PM as I'm learning about it, and buy everything I think I might want or need for tomorrow. It means that, on a Friday, I can't go out to lunch or dinner; not that I necessarily have it planned, but if I were to try to follow the boycott that's what it would mean.

And still a third reason is that, in my mind, folks have forgotten what it takes to put on a good boycott. You've got to have a cause, then you have to get people riled up enough about that cause so that they want to come together and participate in something. It's probably much easier to do on a local level than a national level. When the Montgomery Bus boycotts took place over 50 years ago, it worked because that community was willing to find other ways to get around rather than take the bus. However, if it had been a national boycott that was needed, I'm not sure it could have been pulled off; much colder in the north than it is in the south, after all.

It's hard to judge just how much of an impact something like this might have. A one day blip might not be noticed all that much, even if every one of around 40 million people decided they were going to support it. It's estimated that it could be as much as a $2.3 billion dollar hit if everyone participated, but it's also acknowledged that, the way the economy is these days, one might not think to attribute it to the "black out".

In any case, Ballentine realizes that not everyone will be able to participate fully, but hopes people choose where they're going to spend their money wisely. That's something people should be doing all the time anyway.