Topline
The Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant has called for a National Target Boycott this Sunday, May 25, on the 5th anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, to take a “spiritual stand for justice, remembrance and hope” in prayer gatherings outside local Target stores.
LITHONIA, GEORGIA – APRIL 22: Pastor Jamal H. Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist … More
Key Facts
Calling it a “national act of unity through faith,” Bryant will lead a nine-minute, 29-second prayer gathering– the length of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck causing his death – at the Target store in Conyers, GA at noon this Sunday.
Twenty other pastors and faith leaders will organize similar protests at Target locations in Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and the Baltimore/Washington, D.C./Virginia.
Bryant serves as senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, GA and launched the 40-day “Target Fast” through the Lenten season that coincided with other Target boycotts after Target rolled back its corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Prior to pursuing his ministry and theological studies – he holds a Master’s of Divinity from Duke University and a doctorate from the Graduate Theological Foundation – Bryant was a national youth and college director of the NAACP for six years.
Key Background
Immediately after Target announced it concluded its DEI goals and its “Racial, Equity, Action and Change” initiative, replacing it with a “Belonging” program earlier this year, calls for Target boycotts erupted, starting on Feb. 1 during Black History Month, followed by the “Feb 28 Economic Blackout Day” organized by the People’s Union and the 40-day Target Lenten Fast. May 25 is a particularly poignant day for prayer, being the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death, which sparked protests across the country due to the brutality of his murder. And having occurred in Minneapolis, only about ten minutes away from Target’s headquarters, the company was one of the first corporations to experience protests. At the time, Target CEO Brian Cornell said Floyd’s death had a personal impact on him and his employees, after which the company increased its support for the Black community with further DEI commitments.
Target Boycotts Taking Their Toll
Target has been facing slowing sales with revenues off 3.1% in the fourth quarter ending Feb. 1 and most recently, in the first quarter 2025 ending May 3, net sales declined 2.8%. A nearly 6% drop in comparable store sales most impacted Target’s results. Over 80% of Target sales originate in stores. Placer.ai reports visits per Target location were down 4.8% in the first quarter. In addition, since Feb. 28 Economic Blackout Day, Target’s foot traffic has dropped 14 of the 16 successive weeks. The exceptions were the weeks of Apr. 14 and Apr. 21, surrounding Easter Sunday, when foot traffic was flat. A 4.7% uptick in comparable digital sales gave the company some encouragement in the first quarter. However, the most reliable indicator of the boycotts’ impact is in-store foot traffic, as it is a social activity conducted in public, while digital purchases remain largely private.
Ongoing Committment To Stay Away From Target
Pastor Bryant and his TargetFast.org community remain committed to continue boycotting Target, claiming more than 200,000 people have signed up to carry forward the cause. Specifically, TargetFast.org is asking Target to honor previous pledges of $2 billion to purchase Black-owned products and services, deposit $250 million across 23 Black-owned banks, establish community retail centers at ten Historically Black Colleges and Universities to educate future retail leaders and fully restore diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level of the company.
More Companies To Be Targeted
Bryant has his organization’s sights on other companies that have scaled back their DEI initiatives after President Trump’s executive order ending DEI across the government. “Over 17 companies have walked away from diversity, equity and inclusion, but we decided, with resolving intentionality, that we were going to do one at a time. Target is the first. It is not the last, and another company is going to be coming on the radar in the next couple of weeks,” he said to CNN.
Big Number
$1.7 trillion by 2030 – The amount McKinsey estimates Black American’s spending power will reach in 2030, up from $910 billion in 2019.
Crucial Quote
“We’ve got staying power. We’ve got a model of the Montgomery Bus Boycott 70 years ago that went 381 days. Our community is resolved and focused and intentional that we’re not going to spend our dollars where we’re not honored and where we’re not appreciated,” Bryant shared with CNN.
Tangent
Pastor Bryant joined the Rev. Al Sharpton in an April meeting with Target’s Cornell held at Sharpton’s National Action Network headquarters to discuss the company’s policies surrounding DEI. After the meeting, Sharpton called it “constructive and candid,” and said he “would consider” calling for a Target boycott if the company doesn’t recommit to the Black community, according to CNBC. As of yet, Sharpton remains on the sidelines but supports the efforts of Bryant and others in their boycott initiatives. Cornell made no mention of the meeting with Sharpton and Bryant in the latest earnings call.
