Boycotting is the action of abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a product, company or service. Boycotts happen most when a group of people are protesting for change. Some of the reasons people boycott are because of work conditions or pay, companies practicing unethical behavior, animal cruelty, the list goes on. 

As so many boycotts take place, you may find yourself wondering: does boycotting actually work? 

Many times throughout history people have wanted change and have turned to boycotting. A great example of this is the Montgomery bus boycott. African Americans, led by Rosa Parks, boycotted the city’s buses to protest racial segregation. This lasted for over a year. and soon after, segregation on buses was declared unconstitutional. 

Even in modern day news we still see boycotting happening. People have been boycotting certain stores and companies like Starbucks and Coca Cola because they are funding Israel. 

Sophomore Amina Kaissi said, “Boycotting is effective if enough people contribute to it. If enough people stop going to a store then there is a high chance of it shutting down.”

If we come together to boycott stores, companies, and services that are supporting injustices, they might shut down and this could bring awareness to people and show them just how important equality is. We could one day live in a world where everyone is happy, and there are no wars or problems in the world.