Georgia pastor Rev. Jamal Bryant is again protesting Target after calling for a temporary boycott until the retail giant rolled back some of their diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Now, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church leader says it’s time for a full boycott.
Temporary boycott ended, calls for full boycott
On March 5, in conjunction with the beginning of Lent, Rev. Bryant announced a 40-day “Target Fast,” giving the company time to reconsider scaling back DEI programs and initiatives.
Target originally had a program to help Black employees and staff build meaningful careers and achieve success within the company. They also pledged to create an environment where Black customers felt welcomed and represented in their product selection. Target described this as a “steadfast commitment to stand with Black families and fight against racism.” CEO Brian Cornell also announced a $10 million pledge to advance social justice and bring support to the community.
Faith leaders meet with Target CEO
Easter Sunday marked the end of Lent and was also the same time Bryant and other faith leaders met with Target. The group of church leaders is running the call to action through the organization Strike For All, in which they asked Target to reinstate DEI policies and commit money to Black-owned businesses and banks. Rev. Bryant said Cornell is too afraid of the Trump administration to meet their demands.
“We believe that Target CEO Brian Cornell remains unaware of the betrayal felt by our communities due to his company’s decision to cower to the Trump administration. Diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments should be the hallmark of any company and/or government, it should be a source of pride,” Bryant said.
Once President Donald Trump returned to the White House, he began executing efforts to dismantle DEI programs at the federal level. Trump’s executive orders also targeted public schools, colleges and other institutions.
As soon as Target started to move away from its previous DEI commitments, Rev. Bryant and other national boycott leaders encouraged people to stop shopping there. On Feb. 1, an official boycott started. According to a press release, Target’s stock price fell 30%, and foot traffic in stores declined for 10 consecutive weeks.
In a statement, the faith leaders said in part, “We remain committed to the original demand that Target reinstates diversity, equity and inclusion programs by name to stand up to the Trump administration instead of bending to bigotry. If companies like Costco can take a stand, so can Target.”
Target said they are committed to ‘everyone’
In a statement to The Associated Press, Target said it is committed to establishing a welcoming environment for everyone, from employees to customers.
“It’s core to how we support and grow our business,” Target said. “We remain focused on supporting organizations and creating opportunities for people in the 2,000 communities where we live and operate.”
