 | This article contains too many or overly lengthy quotations. (May 2021) |
The Black Christmas Boycott, also known as the Christmas Sacrifice, in Greenville, North Carolina was a non-violent demonstration of the Civil Rights Movement in 1963 during the months of November and December.
The implementation of Jim Crow laws and the customs of racial segregation resulted in a lack of jobs for the members of the black community of Greenville; most businesses refused to hire black Americans during the holiday season. Following Dr. Martin Luther King’s practice of non-violence, the black community of Greenville organized a boycott of Christmas products, targeting downtown businesses that engaged in racially discriminatory hiring practices. They tried to avoid buying products such as Christmas gifts, lights, decorations, and specialty foods. Later, they settled on a Christmas blackout as another form of silent protest.