NEW YORK (AP) — A 40-day boycott of Target, titled the “Target Fast,” commenced this week to protest the company’s decision to phase out certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The boycott, organized by Rev. Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, along with other faith and civil rights leaders, urges supporters to abstain from shopping at Target stores during the Lenten period. The initiative highlights the economic influence of Black Americans and frames the boycott as a “spiritual act of resistance.” A message on the boycott’s website, targetfast.org, states, “This is a fast for accountability. A fast for justice. A fast for a future where corporations do not bow to pressure at the expense of marginalized communities.”
Target announced in January that it would discontinue several DEI programs, including one aimed at supporting Black employees’ career growth and promoting Black-owned businesses. The Minneapolis-based retailer, which operates nearly 2,000 stores and employs over 400,000 people, stated that the program was always intended to end this year. However, the announcement followed similar moves by other major corporations amid pressure from conservative activists and the White House to eliminate DEI policies. Critics argue that such policies are discriminatory and counterproductive.
The boycott organizers are urging participants to redirect their spending to Black-owned businesses and reinstate Target’s commitments to DEI, including a pledge to spend over $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025. Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network has also announced plans to identify companies abandoning DEI pledges for future boycotts.
Experts suggest that boycotts reflect the risks companies face when actions contradict prior messaging, particularly among vulnerable communities. Marketing professor Americus Reed II noted that feelings of betrayal can drive consumers to take their business elsewhere. However, changing consumer habits remains challenging, and larger market pressures, such as recent tariffs imposed by President Trump, may have a more significant impact on Target’s financial performance.
— news from The Associated Press