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Rev. Jamal Bryant Says He’s Calling Off Target Boycott While These Advocates Claim They Plan To Continue Holding The Company Accountable

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Rev. Jamal Bryant is calling off the Target boycott.

Boycott Explained

As AFROTECH previously told you, in early 2025, Target retracted its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that had been in place for three years. The commitment helped Black- and minority-owned businesses get shelved in Target’s stores and aimed to increase the number of Black employees, USA Today reports. In 2020, the retailer also committed to investing $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025 in response to the murder of George Floyd.

After learning of Target’s move to roll back on DEI initiatives, Rev. Jamal Bryant, a senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, launched a boycott.

As a result of the boycott, Target saw declining foot traffic along with shrinking sales, per AFROTECH. Target’s market value also declined by more than $12 billion, according to The Root. Some Black business owners were also negatively impacted, such as Lip Bar co-founder Melissa Butler, who said her product’s sales at Target declined by up to 40%. However, they increased by 40% at other retailers, per a separate AFROTECH article.

Shareholders even filed a lawsuit against the retailer for the risks posed by scaling back its DEI initiatives, according to CNN.

Rev. Bryant Ends Boycott, Here’s Why

Now, Rev. Bryant has ended the boycott after “productive” conversations with the retailer, now led by CEO Michael Fiddelke. However, Target is still upholding its rollback of DEI initiatives and other policies.

“There are no new commitments, no reversals,” Ebony Porter-Ike, a spokesperson for Bryant, said, per USA Today.

However, Rev. Bryant appears to have a hopeful attitude toward Target’s efforts.

“They have a program called Belonging, which gives access to everybody, not just for entry-level positions, but to be able to ascend into C-suites,” he told USA Today. “It is essentially DEI as I read it. It is the exact same thing.”

Target also claims it pledged an additional $100 million to Black-owned businesses, which was separate from the $2 billion pledge, The Root reported. Bryant stated Target has fulfilled 97% of its original pledge.

In a statement to USA Today, Target said it was “more committed than ever to creating growth and opportunity for all.”

“We’re pleased to be moving forward, and we will continue showing up as trusted neighbors while delivering results for our team members, guests, and the more than 2,000 communities in which we serve,” the retailer mentioned in the statement, per the outlet. “Because when those communities thrive, so do we.”

Some Leaders Will Continue The Boycott

Some leaders of the Target boycott do not align with Bryant’s changed attitudes and will continue their efforts until the retailer honors the boycott’s demands. According to Forbes, some of these demands include reviving DEI policies, investing in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and allocating $250 million to Black-owned banks.

“How can you call off a boycott focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion and have no results to show for it? That is a slap in the face for the people,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, founder of the Racial Justice Network, per USA Today. “But who’s standing here? The people who actually called the boycott. The people who were actually willing to hold this company accountable and are not willing to compromise with Target Corporation.”

Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota, are among the leaders who are continuing the boycott, per USA Today.

The post Rev. Jamal Bryant Says He’s Calling Off Target Boycott While These Advocates Claim They Plan To Continue Holding The Company Accountable appeared first on AfroTech.