Target is once again under fire — this time not just from consumers but from activists within the Black community. The backlash follows a $300,000 donation Target made to the National Baptist Convention USA Inc. (NBCUSA), as USA Today reports.
Target says the gift is part of its ongoing investment in community development, but leaders behind two major boycotts are calling for the funds to be returned.
Backlash Over Strategy And Solidarity
Minnesota-based civil rights attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong launched a boycott of Target in early 2025. Months later, Pastor Jamal Bryant, senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, GA, called for a 40-day boycott, and then urged permanent disengagement from the retailer unless it made major changes, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Now, both leaders say Target’s donation to NBCUSA undermines their push for meaningful corporate accountability.
“This $300,000 payment does not heal—it deepens the wound,” wrote Levy Armstrong in an open letter co-signed by fellow community leaders. “It appears to be a payout for silence and an attempt to regain Black consumer trust without accountability.”
What The Donation Supports
Target says the funds support NBCUSA’s national conference and broader initiatives focused on education and community development.
“We’re proud to be sponsoring NBCUSA’s conference series as one of the many ways we invest to make a meaningful impact in communities across the country by supporting access to education, economic development initiatives and entrepreneurship programs,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY.
NBCUSA President Dr. Boise Kimber said in a press release that the donation will help fund scholarships, assist seniors, and support small business growth in Black communities.
But critics, including Bryant, argue that Target used the donation to avoid making real change.
“Are you crazy to think we’re going to sell out for chump change?” Bryant said during a recent sermon.
In a follow-up interview with USA Today, he described the gift as four $75,000 donations spread across multiple Black church groups. “It’s really a slap in the face and an insult,” he said.
Why The Boycott Started
At the heart of the conflict is what many see as Target’s pullback from earlier DEI promises.
In 2021, Target pledged to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025. But critics say the company has fallen short and quietly scaled back its DEI programs, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Bryant’s demands through the boycott include:
- Reinstating the $2 billion commitment to Black businesses
- Investing in Black-owned banks
- Launching Target community centers at HBCUs
- Fully restoring internal DEI initiatives
“The Black eye for us is that they [National Baptist Convention] walked away with nothing that we asked for,” Bryant said.
Internal Movement Tensions
Adding to the controversy are tensions within the movement itself.
In an open letter to the NBCUSA, Levy Armstrong and other Minnesota-based organizers allege that Bryant co-opted the boycott they launched, rebranding it as a separate church-led effort without proper acknowledgment of their leadership.
“It was reflective of a long, painful history of Black women organizers being pushed aside,” the letter states.
Bryant responded by saying he never intended to take credit. His goal, he said, was to mobilize the Black church in support of the cause.
“My focus was singularly to align with the Black churches as Black churches were not involved or engaged,” he told USA Today. “I’d say everywhere from the rooftops that we were not the originators of it, but it was our intention to bring out the Black church alongside.”
Target’s Latest Statement
In a public statement issued in May, Target reaffirmed its DEI commitments.
“Target is absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity… In the last five years, we have: committed to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses and brands within five years; supported students at over 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); invested $100 million to Black-led community organizations; given scholarships to over 30,000 members of our team to advance their careers; committed 5% of our profits to the communities we operate in…”
What’s Next?
At the time of publication, NBCUSA has not responded to calls to return the donation. Target also has not said whether it plans to revise or expand its community engagement efforts in response to boycott demands.
Meanwhile, boycott organizers appear more unified in their discontent than ever before.
For many in the Black community, this moment is about more than money. It’s about principle, equity, and long-overdue accountability from one of the country’s most powerful retailers.
