A call for economic resistance rang out from Antioch Baptist Church, where faith leaders gathered to launch a 40-day boycott of Target.
Inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Dr. Jamal Bryant of the JHB Movement, along with Rev. Robert Waterman of the Bed-Stuy church, and Hasan James of “Root” magazine (not to be confused with “The Root,” owned by G/O Media), delivered an emphatic message from the pulpit, urging major institutions to recognize the strength of Black economic influence, starting with Target.
Boycott leaders are demanding that Target invest $250 million in Black-owned banks, partner with 10 HBCUs to develop retail business programs, and reinstate its DEI commitments.
As the Amsterdam News previously reported, the Minneapolis-based retailer ended its three-year DEI initiative on January 24, , 2025. It created the program in response to the murder of George Floyd in the same city, an event that sparked global reflection on police brutality and the treatment of Black people.
The boycott movement aims to assess the spending power of Black consumers, which analysts estimate around $2 trillion annually, according to the NAACP.
At the heart of the protest is Target’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a shift that coincided with the political climate of President Donald Trump.
“Black and Brown people are not the No. 1 beneficiaries of DEI; white women are,” Bryant said. “White women are the lead beneficiaries, then the Latino community and the LGBTQ community. Black people are fourth in recipients of DEI.”
The boycott challenges corporate rollbacks in racial equity, making it clear that companies profiting from Black consumers must be held accountable.
“Corporations must be held accountable, but so do legislators,” Bryant said. “Congress and the Senate need to put pressure on the White House to act, and right now, they are failing to do so.”
Bryant positioned the boycott as a modern test of economic power, referencing past movements that forced corporate America to acknowledge Black financial influence. “Montgomery, Alabama, didn’t shut down because of speeches — it shut down because people refused to get on the bus,” he said, linking the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott to today’s Target protest. “We are in a moment where we must ask ourselves: Are we going to make an impact, or are we just going to make noise?”
Target’s 2023 workforce diversity report indicated that 15% of its employees are Black, a figure that at first glance suggests a degree of representation. However, a closer examination of the data presents a more complex reality.
Davinah “Dee” Bailey, chief operating officer of the African American Clergy and Elected Officials Coalition (AAECO), questioned Target’s actual commitment to diversity beyond employment numbers.
“Target doesn’t have a relationship with the Black community, except for the fact that it probably has more Black employees in its stores than any other retailer in America,” Bailey said. “In terms of them working together with the Black community, I don’t know of any partnerships.”
She said only 16% of Black employees hold non-management roles, while only 13% are managers, just 9% are officers, and a mere 6% occupy team leader positions; 17% of Black employees serve on the board of directors.
Target’s latest SEC filings make no mention of Black consumers, supplier diversity, or specific DEI investments — a departure from previous years, when the company positioned itself as a leader in racial equity efforts. The current filings focus instead on cost-cutting measures and shareholder returns, signaling what boycott organizers describe as a quiet retreat from corporate DEI commitments.
“Before DEI was even a conversation, Target made a commitment of $2 billion into Black businesses after the murder of George Floyd,” Bryant said. “Then, after Donald Trump came into office, they dismantled that commitment. The question is: Why? What changed?”
Bailey and Waterman’s criticism of the lack of diversity, coupled with Target’s DEI rollback, adds depth to the economic fast. Having played key roles in electing New York City’s first Black mayor, they now seek to channel that same momentum into a protest aimed at making an impact on Wall Street; this time with Bryant, a senior pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church megachurch, leading the charge.
“It’s not about who’s in the White House. We cannot just focus on what the White House is doing because we’ve been through this before. This is nothing new,” Waterman said. “We know that if we come together, we can make a change.”
The event also drew legal figures, including Supreme Court and Civil Court judges, signaling institutional recognition of the broader implications of corporate rollbacks on racial equity.
“Not many communities get to work so closely with our Supreme Court and Civil Court judges,” Bailey said. “Their presence here is a reflection of the broad support for this movement.”
Beyond legal figures, the event carried emotional weight with the attendance of Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, whose death at the hands of the NYPD in 2014 became a rallying cry for police reform. Her presence makes the fight for racial justice not just a financial protest but a matter of life and death.
“We cannot allow corporate America to profit from Black pain while refusing to invest in Black progress,” Bryant said. “That is the bottom line.”
As the boycott began, faith leaders said their mission is to ensure that corporations that once profited from public commitments to diversity do not silently retreat from them without accountability.
“This is not just about Target — this is about proving that our dollars have power,” said Bryant. “If we can move billions into their pockets, we can take billions away. That is how change happens.”
It remains to be seen how Target will respond, but for the leaders gathered in Brooklyn, the message was clear: Black economic influence is not to be ignored.
Why is a pastor telling congregation to boycott Target? Would Jesus do that?