There is a move on spearheaded by the Nation of Islam to boycott Christmas. What this actually means is that Black people are being requested to boycott Christmas from a materialistic standpoint, but not boycott Jesus. In other words, as so many people have been heard to say – “Jesus is the reason for the season.” To be sure, people tend to forget this fact in the rush to spend money. The Christmas season has become a materialistic bonanza for American merchants, and Black people are right up there with everyone else ready to spend their part of the $1.1 trillion that represents Black spending power. According to an online Nation of Islam (NOI) Research article, there are 10 good reasons to boycott Christmas: 1. Stop Feeding the Beast that has demonstrated a disregard for the lives of Black people. This year alone, nearly1,000 people have been killed by the police. Economic withdrawal is effectively a form of economic sanctions. 2. We must gain the attention of those who have contributed to our oppression, and send a clear, economic message that things have changed—we are not going to take it anymore. 3. Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers did it. This Generation has the opportunity to settle Reverend Dr. King’s unfinished business. Both civil rights leaders used Christmas boycotts to press for Black justice. 4. Jesus did it. When Jesus confronted the rabbis for their wicked misdeeds, the very first thing He did was to target the merchants. In all four gospels, Jesus expels the moneychangers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple into a den of thieves through their commercial activities. 5.Christmas is Rank Commercialism. Imagine you arrive at your own birthday party and some fat white man is sitting in the middle of the room getting all the attention, opening all your gifts. Where is Jesus in all of this? He is seemingly ignored by the very people who claim to follow Him. 6.God said BOYCOTT. The Bible outlaws Christmas. One may look no further than the King James Bible, Jeremiah 10:2-5, wherein God Himself denounces the pagan ritual of chopping down and decorating a tree and the worship of false idols—heathen traditions that have come to represent Christmas. 7.You Can’t Afford It. 15 million Americans say that when the Christmas season arrives, they still have not yet paid the debt from the last one. 8. Nobody wants your gifts. A Yale University study estimated that $4 billion worth of Christmas gifts are wasted every year. The gift is not wanted and will not be used. 9. It is the perfect time to get control of fleeing Black Dollars. According to the Urban League, a dollar circulates in Asian communities for a month, in Jewish communities approximately 20 days and white communities 17 days. How long does a dollar circulate in the Black community? 6 hours! Black American buying power is at $1.1 trillion, yet only 2 cents of every dollar Blacks spent in this country go to Black-owned businesses. 10. Jews Boycott. Jews have NEVER celebrated Christmas, and they have never lied to their own children about any Santa, reindeer, or elves, and they lead all ethnic groups in every economic category. Though the reasons given by NOI make sense, it would be folly to overlook some of the other meaningful aspects of this important season. For one, it provides people with an opportunity, however fleeting, to celebrate each other. The act of giving gifts, whether wanted or not, provides us with an opportunity to think about someone other than ourselves, and a focus is also placed on those in need of assistance. These reasons alone give pause to the notion that the Christmas season should cease to be an important tradition. On the other hand, it does make perfect sense to jump on the wave of empowerment that seems to be engulfing the Black community wherein our dollars are now seen by us to make a difference and to provide us leverage in a system that smacks of disdain for Black lives. Maybe it is time to seize the golden ring while it is accessible. With this said, the Crusader wishes you a very happy and safe holiday season that focuses on the seven principles of Kwanzaa!
