Tabitha Brown Had To Heighten Security After Her Statements Regarding The Target Boycott And Says ‘I’m Not The Enemy’ – AfroTech
Tabitha Brown is clearing the air about her partnership with Target.
As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the retailer rolled back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments in early 2025, a move that helped fuel a consumer boycott that remains ongoing.
While Target was not the only major retailer to scale back DEI efforts, many critics focused on the company because of its previous push to support Black-owned businesses and other minority groups.
Brown is among those business owners whose products are sold at Target stores. She is under a licensing deal with the retailer, and her haircare brand Donna’s Recipe — launched in partnership with Gina Woods — is shelved in the store, as AFROTECH™ previously told you.
Brown made a discreet Instagram post on January 24, not mentioning a single word, but the implication that she was referencing the retailer was evident. During an interview on iHeartPodcast’s “Not My Best Moment” hosted by KevOnStage, Brown shared how Black content creators working with Target for the first time for Black History Month and Black-owned businesses with products on Target shelves who saw her video reached out to her in groves.
“‘What are we going to do, Tab’ … ‘This is about to kill our business’ … ‘They about to boycott,’” messages sent to her stated, as Brown said on the podcast.
Brown admitted she felt responsible to speak up as an advocate for small businesses. One day later, she followed up with a separate post sharing her true thoughts on Target’s decision to scale back on DEI and its impact on Black small business owners. Her commentary sparked backlash online.
She clarified her sentiments that sparked the pushback on “Not My Best Moment.”
“I own multiple businesses. Don’t worry about me. But these other people, and I said this in the video, some of these Black-owned businesses, it’s their first time being in the store. This is why I was really so upset because Target, y’all really did this right before the Black History Month launch. Y’all know what it’s going to do to these these businesses. You know how long it take to get in there,’” she said on the podcast.
“I was trying to educate people on this is what’s going to happen for these small businesses. ‘Cause some people are like, “I ain’t boycotting.” I’m like, “Listen, I understand. But if you do, great. If you decide not to and you still go in Target, please only buy Black. Only support those businesses because the numbers don’t lie.’”
Still, Brown’s video was misinterpreted by viewers and led to the spread of misinformation.
“There was like a lot of lies going around saying like, ‘They just took all the Black businesses out of Target’. I was like ‘No they didn’t do that yet.’ They didn’t do that because they can’t legally, but they can when the fiscal year rolls around and they start looking at the numbers say, ‘Oh, this was your forecast and this where you came in. You didn’t meet the numbers.’ Now, they have reason to remove them. That’s what I tried to convey,” she mentioned.
Brown also called out Pastor Jamal Bryant, who led the boycott against Target, for allegedly spreading misinformation that implied she could pull her products from shelves and sell them directly to consumers. However, this was not possible with her licensing deal without losing a lot of money and being sued.
She noted on the podcast that she was nearly at the finish line with her Target contract, which was also said in the Instagram video. In the midst of the tension, Brown said she spent time seeking clarity with God and learning lessons. Looking ahead, she said she will now have a dual morality clause in all her contracts.
In the midst of the tension, Brown said she spent time seeking clarity with God and learning lessons. Looking ahead, she said she will now have a dual morality clause in all her contracts.
