The Atlanta pastor who led a 40-day Target “fast” for Lent is now calling for a “full boycott” of the retailer, citing a lack of progress after it rolled back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Rev. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church announced the move in a statement posted on his church’s website, saying the protest is “entering a new phase.”
He amplified that message over the weekend at his church’s Easter Sunday service.
“We ain’t going back in there,” Bryant said as parishioners wearing “stay on Target” shirts stood behind him.
In his online statement, Bryant noted that the retailer has yet to meet all of the demands outlined by boycott organizers. Among them: restoring its DEI commitments, including a program focused on investing in Black-owned banks and businesses.
The initial fast, which began on March 5, was launched after Target shifted its commitment to diversity after President Donald Trump called for DEI programs to be dismantled in both government and the private sector.
Related: Al Sharpton Has ‘Constructive’ Meeting With Target CEO Over DEI Rollback
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order ending federal DEI programs and has since urged businesses to do the same, calling such efforts “illegal.”
Black faith leaders, including Bryant, encouraged congregations across the country to participate in the “Target Fast,” and avoid shopping at the store for 40 days.
Placer.ai data showed Target saw foot traffic decline for 10 straight weeks amid the boycott.
Forbes also reported a recent 9 percent drop in the retailer’s website traffic.
“Until Target comes to the table with serious, concrete proposals to meet our four demands, we will remain in this posture,” Bryant said. “Silence and delay are no longer acceptable. Our communities deserve action, not platitudes. Our demands are not radical — they are righteous, reasonable, and long overdue.”
The boycott website states that more than 150,000 people pledged to participate in the boycott. It also claims Target’s stock value has dropped 57 percent and that the company has lost over $4 billion since January 2024.
Bryant said the boycott’s focus on Target stems from the significant purchasing power of Black consumers.
“Black people across the country spend $12 million per day” at Target, Bryant previously told Atlanta news station WSB-TV.
In a statement to the Associated Press on Wednesday, April 23, Target said it is committed to “all” consumers.
“We have an ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all team members, guests, and suppliers,” the company explained. “It’s core to how we support and grow our business. We remain focused on supporting organizations and creating opportunities for people in the 2,000 communities where we live and operate.”
Last week the company’s CEO met with Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, which described the meeting as “constructive.”
The video of Bryant’s Easter church service is above. Bryant begins discussing Target at the 2:20:00 mark.
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