Published Feb 14, 2025 (Newsweek.com)

Activists Call For Target Boycott After DEI Reversal

By Suzanne Blake

Reporter, Consumer & Social Trends

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An Atlanta-based pastor plans a boycott of Target next month that could potentially go nationwide.

Target has received pushback after changing its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Why It Matters

Target was one company of many that said it would get rid of some DEI initiatives after President Donald Trump mandated the end of federal DEI programs.

Also in response to Trump, PBS said it would be closing its DEI office. Amazon and Google are updating their DEI initiatives, as well.

What To Know

More than 50,000 have signed a petition against Target that was started by Atlanta-based New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Jamal Bryant.

Bryant originally advocated for his church congregation to participate in a 40-day fast of Target shopping, and the message has now gained traction online.

The boycott is set to begin March 5 as a way to protest the recent changes Target is implementing when it comes to DEI.

While 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.

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Target also received criticism after removing Pride displays in rural stores because of conservative backlash in the last several years.

“Historically, the Black church 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.”

More retailers could be at risk of being boycotted, as Bryant said Target was just the first to focus on with the 40-day fast.

Newsweek reached out to Target for comment via email.

What People Are Saying

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Jamal Bryant told WAGA: “Black people spend on average $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.”

Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek: “Their brand positioning created higher expectations around social responsibility. When they retreated from DEI commitments, their core urban professional demographic saw it as a betrayal of stated values.”

Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek: “Target was one of many companies that pledged to increase diversity following the nationally televised death of a Black citizen at the hands of a police officer. The rollback of these initiatives has left many feeling disillusioned, viewing it as another example of corporate profit being prioritized over people. For the Black community, this serves as a reminder that economic power—rather than votes—often drives meaningful change.”

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 retailers like Target over their decision to rollback DEI policies for hiring and training at a corporate level. This one particularly narrows in on Target, 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.”

What Happens Next

Ryan said the Target boycott could make a substantial impact, as the company’s stock is already trading between $100 to $140 compared to $160 before the controversy.

“Target’s attempt to find middle ground in a polarized environment appears to be backfiring,” Ryan said. “Companies today must either fully commit to their stated values or avoid taking social positions entirely. Half-measures open you up to criticism from all sides.”