Jamal Bryant announced Wednesday that the Target boycott is over.
One year ago last week, the Atlanta megachurch pastor called on his congregation to take their dollars elsewhere after the retail giant announced it was rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments launched in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, home of the brand’s headquarters.
The store had become a popular destination for shoppers looking for culturally relevant products and Black entrepreneurs launching hair, skincare and other lifestyle finds — everyone felt seen and valued.
After meeting with Target CEO Michael Fiddelke, Bryant told USA Today that the boycott he led made progress and that he would hold Target accountable to Black shoppers, employees and communities.
Bryant said he is satisfied that Target remains committed to DEI.
“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,” Bryant said. “It is essentially DEI as I read it. It is the exact same thing.”
The newspaper also reported after reviewing materials Bryant’s organization provided it did not appear that Target offered concessions or reversed any of the changes the company made to its DEI policies last year.
A spokesperson for Bryant acknowledged there are no new commitments or reversals for the company.
Bryant called for the Target boycott during a sermon in January 2025, but the protest officially began on March 5, 2025, as a 40-day protest coinciding with Lent season. A year later, that protest has grown into a national economic movement.
During an interview with Capital B Atlanta last week, the New Birth Missionary Baptist pastor said he’d been “overwhelmed” by how Black Americans across the nation have embraced the movement, which he acknowledged isn’t really about him.
“We’re mindful of how strong and how powerful we are economically,” Bryant said. “The reality is, the community didn’t ask my permission. It has been a groundswell.”
Target’s former CEO, Bryan Cornell, acknowledged the boycott’s significant impact on sales and foot traffic last year before resigning in August while remaining on the company’s board of directors. So far, Cornell’s successor hasn’t fared much better at the helm.
Reuters reports shareholders are eager for change after fourth-quarter earnings were down year-over-year. Bryant said on Feb. 25 that Fiddelke recently agreed to a meeting in March to discuss what it would take to end the boycott.
Bryant called this past year’s efforts “the most successful, effective, and long-standing boycott of Black people in 70 years, since the Montgomery Bus Boycott.”
Ahead of his meeting with the CEO, Bryant said his terms hadn’t changed. He still expected Target to renew its DEI commitments, partner with HBCUs like it has with predominately white institution, and honor its multimillion-dollar investment promises to Black entrepreneurs.
He said failing to do this in the wake of Trump’s reelection gave Black folks an economic cause to rally behind.
“It wasn’t just disappointment,” Bryant said. “Black people took it as a betrayal.”
In a statement, 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 company said in an emailed statement. “Because when those communities thrive, so do we.”
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