40-day ‘Target Fast’ underway to boycott Target DEI rollbacks
Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant, who is leading the “Target Fast,” is urging Target executives to reinstate DEI policies, hoping the boycott will bring about a change.
A 40-day boycott of Target, spearheaded by Black church leaders, commenced on March 5, coinciding with Ash Wednesday. This boycott during Lent aims to protest against companies that have rolled back diversity-enhancing programs.
“This Lent, we will initiate a corporate fast, beginning with Target, as a spiritual act of resistance,” declares a statement from the movement’s website. “This fast is for accountability. A fast for justice. A fast for a future where corporations do not yield to pressure at the expense of marginalized communities.”
Jamal-Harrison Bryant, pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, collaborated with other faith leaders to organize the fast.
“Black consumers, on average, spend $12 million daily at Target,” Bryant mentioned in an interview with USA TODAY. “Target pledged $2 billion to our community following the killing of George Floyd, but now, with the change in administration, they seem to have forgotten that commitment. This pledge wasn’t made under DEI or affirmative action; it was rooted in basic decency and humanity. To abandon it is a great injustice.”
Bryant noted that as of March 5, 110,000 individuals have committed to not shopping at Target for the 40-day period.
Why are people boycotting Target?
Shortly after President Donald Trump took office, Target, along with several major retailers, announced the discontinuation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Their changes included scrapping a program designed to help Black employees progress within the company, as well as their commitment to supporting Black-owned businesses.
When the rollback was revealed, Target claimed the program was already marked for termination this year. Various groups reacted by organizing boycotts; a national boycott was initiated in honor of Black History Month on February 1, led by activists from Minnesota, while a broader boycott urging consumers to refrain from spending occurred on February 28.
The Lenten boycott places four demands on Target:
- Honor the $2 billion pledge to the Black business community by purchasing products, services, and making media buys with Black-owned outlets.
- Deposit $250 million into 23 Black banks.
- Fully restore the retailer’s commitment to DEI.
- Establish community centers at 10 HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) to provide retail business education at all levels.
Have the boycotts impacted Target?
According to one firm, foot traffic has decreased at Target. Placer.ai estimates in-store visitation for locations nationwide.
In February, foot traffic at Target, Walmart, Best Buy, McDonald’s, and Starbucks declined compared to January. Target suffered the most significant drop, with a 9% decrease, while January saw a 3.6% increase.
Joseph Feldman, an analyst with Telsey Advisory Group, noted in a recent client report that the Placer.ai data indicated a clear decline in traffic from late January to mid-February following Target’s withdrawal from DEI initiatives.
He stated that while other retailers experienced a slower February start, Target appeared particularly vulnerable to the effects of the boycott alongside broader concerns about consumer confidence and rising prices due to tariffs.
