A 12-Month Plan to Starve the System, Build Our Own, and Take Care of Each Other
Launch Date: June 1, 2026
Four Pillars:
- Economic Boycott – Starve the system
- Local Power – Change the laws where we live
- Platform Building – Own our digital presence
- Mutual Aid – Take care of each other
Phase 1: Launch & First Steps (June – July 2026)
June 2026 | Month 1: Launch, Banking Move & Juneteenth Fast
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Open account at Black-owned bank or credit union by June 15. Move at least $100. Prepare for Juneteenth Fast (June 19-28). |
| Local Power | Find out when your next city council meeting is. Put it on your calendar. Look up your city council member’s name. |
| Platform Building | Join the Divine Readers Community (or another Black-owned platform). If you have a website, add a link to your community. If not, join mine as a first step. |
| Mutual Aid | Identify one vacant lot in your neighborhood. Talk to 2 neighbors about what they would grow. |
Key Dates: June 1 (Launch), June 15 (Bank deadline), June 19-28 (Juneteenth Fast)
July 2026 | Month 2: Amazon Boycott & First Meeting
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Cancel Amazon Prime. No Amazon purchases for 30 days. Delete the app. |
| Local Power | Attend your first city council or county commission meeting. Just observe. |
| Platform Building | Unsubscribe from corporate email lists (Amazon, Target, Walmart). Download your data from Facebook/Instagram if you plan to leave later. |
| Mutual Aid | Start a community fridge or food sharing pantry with 3 neighbors. |
Key Dates: July 1 (Cancel Amazon Prime)
August 2026 | Month 3: Social Media Pause & School Board Season
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | 30-day social media deactivation (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X). |
| Local Power | Attend a school board meeting. Pay attention to curriculum, budgets, and closures. |
| Platform Building | Start a free Substack newsletter or Carrd one-page website. Takes 30 minutes. Post your first update about why you’re boycotting. |
| Mutual Aid | Organize a school supply drive (even just collecting from 5 families). |
Key Dates: August 1 (Social media pause begins)
September 2026 | Month 4: Back-to-School Boycott & Speaking Up
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | No back-to-school spending at Target, Walmart, or Amazon. Buy Black-owned or secondhand. |
| Local Power | Speak at a school board meeting. Prepare 2-3 minutes of public comment. |
| Platform Building | Write a 300-word blog post (on your Substack, Carrd, or website) about your experience speaking at the meeting. Share the link (not the content) on social media. |
| Mutual Aid | Host a back-to-school clothing swap. |
Phase 2: Building Momentum (October – November 2026)
October 2026 | Month 5: Election Prep & County Commission
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Continue boycott. Add one new chain this month. |
| Local Power | Attend a county commission meeting. Research your county’s budget. |
| Platform Building | Change your social media bios to link to your website, Substack, or community. Remove links to corporate platforms you’re boycotting. |
| Mutual Aid | Start a lending circle with 5 trusted people (each puts in $20/month). |
Key Dates: October 15 (Voter registration deadline)
November 2026 | Month 6: Vote & No-Spend November
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Vote (Nov. 3rd) + No-Spend November (essentials only). |
| Local Power | After election, look up results. Write down names of winners. Find their contact info. |
| Platform Building | Create a simple resource page on your website: “How I Left Chase After 30 Years” or “My First City Council Meeting.” Share it with 3 people. |
| Mutual Aid | Identify one family at risk of eviction. Create a rapid response plan. |
Key Dates: November 3 (Election Day)
Phase 3: Holiday Resistance & Year-End Reflection (December – January 2027)
December 2026 | Month 7: Buy Black December & Lame Duck Watch
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Buy Black for all holiday gifts. Use directories like Official Black Wall Street or shopredbag.com. |
| Local Power | Attend a “lame duck” session. Watch for last-minute decisions. |
| Platform Building | Post a “Year in Review” on your platform. Share your wins, struggles, and lessons. Don’t post it on social media first – post on your own site and then link. |
| Mutual Aid | Organize a holiday gift circle (homemade or regifted). Share a meal with neighbors. |
January 2027 | Month 8: Recommit & New Officials
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Recommit to the boycott. Recruit one new person. Walk them through the Bank Fee Escape Checklist. |
| Local Power | Attend first meetings of the year. Introduce yourself to newly elected officials. |
| Platform Building | Invite 5 people to join your platform (Substack, website, or online community). Offer to help them set up their own if they’re interested. |
| Mutual Aid | Expand your lending circle. Recruit 3 more people. Plan a community garden for spring. |
Key Dates: January 15 (MLK Jr. Day)
Phase 4: Deepening the Work (February – May 2027)
February 2027 | Month 9: Black History Month & Civics Deep Dive
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Continue boycott. Research Black economic history (Black Wall Street, Freedman’s Bank, cooperative economics). |
| Local Power | Host or attend a community meeting about the Blueprint Council. Learn about sunshine laws. |
| Platform Building | Write a Black History Month post about a Black economic pioneer. Post it on your platform, not just social media. |
| Mutual Aid | Recruit 3 more people to your mutual aid network. Host a seed and tool swap. |
March 2027 | Month 10: Budget Season & Recruitment Drive
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Recruit 5 new people to the boycott. Help them open a new bank account. |
| Local Power | Attend budget hearings. Ask questions: “Why so much for police? Why so little for housing?” |
| Platform Building | Create a simple directory of Black-owned businesses, mutual aid networks, or CLTs in your area. Post it on your website. |
| Mutual Aid | Break ground on the community garden (if weather permits). |
Key Dates: March 15 (Budget proposals)
April 2027 | Month 11: Spring Elections & Institution Research
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Continue boycott. Write a letter to a company you’re boycotting explaining why. |
| Local Power | Vote in spring elections (school board, city council). Research one institution that should be Black-owned. |
| Platform Building | Write a post about that institution: “What would it take to make [X] Black-owned or community-controlled?” Share your research. |
| Mutual Aid | Host a community work day at the garden. Share your first harvest. |
Key Dates: April 4 (MLK assassination anniversary)
May 2027 | Month 12: One Year Anniversary
| Pillar | Action |
| Economic | Calculate your one-year impact. How much did you redirect? How much did you save? |
| Local Power | Attend a meeting to thank supportive officials. Write a “year in review” report. |
| Platform Building | Write a one-year anniversary post. Share your numbers, your lessons, your failures, and your hopes for Year 2. Publish it on your platform first. |
| Mutual Aid | Celebrate. Host a neighborhood potluck with food from the garden. Plan for Year 2. |
Key Dates: June 1, 2027 (One year)
Quick Reference: Monthly Platform Building Actions
| Month | Platform Building Action |
| June 2026 | Join Divine Readers Community (or another Black-owned platform) |
| July 2026 | Unsubscribe from corporate email lists + download data |
| August 2026 | Start free Substack or Carrd website |
| September 2026 | Write 300-word post about speaking at meeting |
| October 2026 | Change social media bios to link to your platform |
| November 2026 | Create resource page (“How I left Chase”) |
| December 2026 | Post “Year in Review” on your platform first |
| January 2027 | Invite 5 people to join your platform |
| February 2027 | Write Black History Month post about economic pioneer |
| March 2027 | Create directory of local Black-owned resources |
| April 2027 | Write post about institution that should be Black-owned |
| May 2027 | Write one-year anniversary post |
