As the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death approaches, an Atlanta megachurch pastor is ramping up calls for a national boycott of Target, citing the retailer’s rollback of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church announced that he and his congregation will stage a protest outside a Target store in Conyers, Georgia, on May 25, the same day Floyd was murdered in 2020.
The protest stems from Target’s decision earlier this year to wind down a DEI initiative launched in the wake of Floyd’s killing. The program, which aimed to support Black employees, improve the shopping experience for Black consumers, and elevate Black-owned brands, is being phased out as part of what the company says was a pre-planned conclusion.
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Target, which employs over 400,000 workers across nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S., also confirmed that it would sunset its broader DEI goals, which had been structured in three-year intervals.
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Outraged by the move, Bryant used his pulpit during Lent to urge congregants and supporters to begin a “fast” from Target, an act of economic protest. What started as a symbolic gesture has since transformed into a continuing boycott.
“It is so critical and important that corporations would recognize and respect the Black dollar and our consumer power,” Bryant told FOX 5 in April. “Their stock has gone down; at the bottom of it, the valuation has gone down as well as the foot traffic.”
While Bryant acknowledged that Target has agreed to honor its prior $2 billion pledge to invest in Black-owned businesses, he criticized the company for failing to meet additional demands—such as channeling hundreds of millions into Black-owned financial institutions and reinstating DEI commitments.
READ ALSO: 40-day boycott launched against Target after rolling back DEI policies
“Corporations will see they can’t take Black dollars for granted and that we’re in here for the long haul,” Bryant said.
During his most recent Sunday sermon, he announced that 67 churches across the country plan to organize simultaneous demonstrations at local Target locations, and he invited other congregations to join the effort.
The coordinated protests are meant to remain peaceful, Bryant emphasized, but will serve as a firm reminder that the campaign for corporate accountability and racial equity is far from over.
READ ALSO: Black Americans advised to boycott companies that abandon DEI programs
