Community Unites in Boycott Against Target Amid DEI Rollback

DALLAS, Texas — Black consumers across the United States are uniting in a boycott against Target following the retail giant’s recent decision to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The controversy ignited after Target announced in January it would reduce its commitment to representation by 20%, prompting public backlash and calls for consumers to redirect their spending.

Among those leading the charge is Treece Jones, a 32-year-old finance manager from Dallas who once frequented Target for her favorite Black-owned brands. “It was very easy for me to say, ‘Oh well, I can spend my Black dollars elsewhere,’” Jones told CNN. She plans to support locally owned retailers and buy directly from Black-owned brands instead of shopping at Target.

This boycott echoes broader sentiments across the nation as faith leaders and civil rights activists respond to the company’s decision, which has been perceived as a retreat from its previous commitments made in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020. Late last month, former President Donald Trump ordered a halt to federal DEI initiatives and encouraged corporations to abandon such programs. Trump has argued that DEI policies compromise hiring meritocracy.

Rev. Jamal Bryant, of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, is at the forefront of organizing the boycott. He is encouraging Black Americans to refrain from shopping at Target throughout Lent, highlighting the symbolic significance of the 40-day season as a time of sacrifice. Bryant is aiming for at least 100,000 participants in what he describes as a “spiritual act of resistance,” during which consumers are encouraged to purchase from Black-owned businesses.

In Bryant’s view, Target’s decision represents an “absence of conscience,” considering the pledges made to support the Black community during 2020. “It is a slap in the face to that local community and to the family,” he said.

Target has declined to comment directly on the boycott, citing its “Belonging at the Bullseye” strategy, which includes recruiting team members from diverse backgrounds and offering products that celebrate all guests. However, many activists like Nekima Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis civil rights attorney, contend that Target’s reversal has sparked feelings of betrayal among its former supporters.

“It was shocking to see Target fall into the trap and abandon their core customer base,” Armstrong stated, noting that past collaborations with Black businesses reassured the community after Floyd’s death.

Faith leaders also gathered in Washington, D.C., on Presidents’ Day to rally support for the boycott. Bishop Reginald T. Jackson called for united opposition against corporations that compromise their DEI commitments: “If our diversity is not good, our money isn’t good,” he said.

One such initiative, dubbed the “Economic Blackout,” urges consumers to avoid major stores and instead shop at local businesses. John Schwarz, a grassroots organizer, articulated the purpose behind the boycott, emphasizing a need for corporations to recognize consumer power. “They need to understand that we are the economy,” Schwarz remarked.

The Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network plans to identify two companies within 90 days for boycotts due to similar DEI reversals. On the flip side, NAN organizes “buy-cotts” to encourage spending at businesses that uphold their DEI promises.

Despite the public outcry, some economists express skepticism about the boycott’s impact on Target’s bottom line. Vicki Bogan, a professor at Duke University, estimates that Black Americans comprise about 8.9% of Target’s consumer spending. “The real power found in boycotts is raising awareness,” Bogan said, while cautioning that the financial strain on some Black families may hinder their ability to sustain a boycott against value retailers.

Community organizer KJ Kearney acknowledged the challenges that economically vulnerable individuals face, voicing concern that their realities might conflict with the idealism of boycotting major retailers. “You cannot hate these corporations more than you love your own people,” Kearney asserted.

Historic boycotts have long served as tools for social change in the U.S., dating back to the Montgomery bus boycott in the 1950s, which advanced racial equality. Bryant draws inspiration from those methods, stating, “What it is that we are doing is we are taking a page out of history of how it is that you effectively voice your objection to oppression.”