Activists Call For Target Boycott After DEI Reversal
\nB y Suzanne Blake
\nReporter\, Consumer & Soci al Trends
\nNewsweek Is A Trust Project Memb erFOLLOW< /p>\n
An Atlanta-based pastor plans a boycott of Target next month that could potentially go nat ionwide.
\nTarget has received pushback after changing its diversity\, equity and inclusion (DEI) p olicies.
\nWhy It Matters
\nTar get was one company of many that said it would get rid of some DEI initiat ives after President Donald Trump mandated the end of federal DEI programs.
\nAlso in response t o Trump\, PBS said it wou ld be closing its DEI office. Amazon and Google< /a> are updating their DEI initiatives\, as well.
\n
<
figcaption class='wp-element-caption'>A Target store on November 20\, 2024
\, in Austin\, Texas. BRANDON BELL/GETTY IMAGESWhat To Know
\nMore than 50\,000 have signed a petition against Target that was started by Atlanta -based New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Jamal Bryant.
\nBr yant originally advocated for his church congregation to participate in a 40-day fast of Target shopping\, and the message has now gained traction o nline.
\nThe boycott is set to begin March 5 as a way to protest the recent changes Target is implementing when it comes to DEI.
\nWhile Target invested in a DEI program to help Black employees and committed $2 billion to support Black-owned businesses in 2021\, the company reversed stance on those initiatives this month.
\nREAD MORE Target
\n- \n
- How Happy Are Kamala Harris Voters With Donald Trump? What Pol l Shows \n
- California Suffered Major Air Traffic Control Issue \n
- Protesters at Republican Event Told ‘Your Voice Is Meani ngless’ \n
- Social Security Announces Changes After Trump Executive Order \n
Target also received criti cism after removing Pride displays in rural stores because of conservative backlash in the last several years.
\n“Historically\, the Black chu rch has always been the centerpiece of the civil rights movement\,” Bryant told local station WAGA-TV in Atlanta. “If they start losing $29 million a day for 40 days\, we will break the back of the system.”
\nMore re tailers could be at risk of being boycotted\, as Bryant said Target was ju st the first to focus on with the 40-day fast.
\nNewsweek r eached out to Target for comment via email.
\nWhat People Are Saying
\nNew Birth Missionary Baptist C hurch Pastor Jamal Bryant told WAGA: “Black people spend on avera ge $12 million a day in Target\, so with that large of a consumption pie\, we need to be treated with a great decibel of respect.”
\nM ichael Ryan\, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com\, t old Newsweek: “Their brand positioning created higher ex pectations around social responsibility. When they retreated from DEI comm itments\, their core urban professional demographic saw it as a betrayal o f stated values.”
\nKevin Thompson\, a finance expert and th e founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group\, told Newsweek: “ Target was one of many companies that pledged to increase diversity follow ing the nationally televised death of a Black citizen at the hands of a po lice officer. The rollback of these initiatives has left many feeling disi llusioned\, viewing it as another example of corporate profit being priori tized over people. For the Black community\, this serves as a reminder tha t economic power—rather than votes—often drives meaningful change.”
\n< p>Alex Beene\, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin\, told Newsweek: “This boycott is the latest in a string of economic initiatives being aimed at big-box ret ailers like Target over their decision to rollback DEI policies for hiring and training at a corporate level. This one particularly narrows in on Ta rget\, which gained many headlines with its decision to eliminate DEI from company protocol. With something like this boycott\, it’s hard to say how much steam it will pick up.”\nWhat Happe ns Next
\nRyan said the Target boycott could make a substantial imp act\, as the company’s stock is already trading between $100 to $140 compa red to $160 before the controversy.
\n“Target’s attempt to find midd le ground in a polarized environment appears to be backfiring\,” Ryan said . “Companies today must either fully commit to their stated values or avoi d taking social positions entirely. Half-measures open you up to criticism from all sides.”
\n