US

Pastor Jamal Bryant Declares Target Boycott Over But Black Activists Say Not So Fast

Megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant declares victory in Target boycott after securing three of four demands, but activists Nekima Levy Armstrong and Nina Turner refuse to end the fight.

Michael Ringer

Michael Ringer

— 3 min read
Pastor Jamal Bryant at the Target Fast press conference announcing the end of the yearlong Target boycott

Pastor Jamal Bryant Declares Target Boycott Victory While Other Black Activists Refuse to Back Down

Megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, announced on March 12, 2026 that the yearlong boycott of retail giant Target is officially over. Bryant declared victory after what he described as securing three out of four original demands from the company.

The boycott began in February 2025 when the Racial Justice Network, led by attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, launched a national consumer protest against Target. The retailer had announced it would roll back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, scale back programs for minority owned businesses, and stop reporting to certain diversity watchdog groups.

Bryant joined the effort in April 2025, calling for a "full on boycott" and issuing four demands: that Target honor its $2 billion pledge to Black businesses through products, services, and media buys; deposit $250 million in Black banks; restore its DEI franchise commitment; and establish community centers at 10 HBCUs.

We are claiming victory, and our generation needs victory.

Pastor Jamal Bryant said at the press conference.

According to Bryant, Target completed 97% of its $2 billion pledge by the July 2025 deadline. The company also committed $10 million to Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, an HBCU in Detroit, and over $18 million to the United Negro College Fund. Target has promised to complete the remaining balance plus an additional $100 million in grants and scholarships by Easter 2026.

However, not all boycott leaders agree that the fight is over. Levy Armstrong held an emergency press conference insisting the boycott continues, pointing out that Target has not reinstated its DEI commitments.

The Target boycott continues.

Nekima Levy Armstrong declared.

Former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner also refused to call off the protest, stating she would not encourage people to return to Target. Activist Tamika Mallory demanded a public apology from Target's new CEO Michael Fiddelke for harm caused to the Black community.

Jamal Bryant Ends Target Fast as Activists Split Over Whether the Retail Boycott Achieved Its Goals

A shopping cart sits in the parking lot of a Target retail store during the ongoing consumer boycott over DEI rollbacks

The split among boycott leaders highlights deeper tensions in the movement. Bryant acknowledged that Target is "the only Fortune 500 company that got a hood nickname," referring to its cultural significance in Black communities. Yet his declaration of victory without securing the reinstatement of DEI policies has drawn sharp criticism from grassroots organizers who started the movement.

The boycott contributed to a year of declining sales and leadership changes at Target, including the departure of former CEO Brian Cornell. Despite this leverage, the company has not reversed its DEI rollbacks, leaving many activists feeling the fight is far from finished.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let me be blunt. When a pastor declares victory without actually winning, the only person celebrating is the corporation that got away with it. Target rolled back its commitments, watched the boycott hurt its bottom line, then threw some money around without restoring a single policy it gutted. That is not a win. That is a payoff. The Church should be the last institution on earth willing to accept a half measure and call it triumph. Christians do not negotiate with conviction. We stand on principle until principle prevails. If our leaders are going to speak for us, they need to remember that we answer to a God who does not grade on a curve.

Take Action

  • Research Target's current DEI policies and make an informed personal decision about where you spend your dollars. Your purchasing power is your voice.
  • Support Black owned businesses directly. Visit Official Black Wall Street to find Black owned businesses in your area.
  • Contact Target corporate at 1 800 440 0680 or visit Target Corporate Contact to share your views on corporate accountability and DEI commitments.
  • Support Christian organizations fighting for justice and unity across denominations at www.TheShepherdsShield.org.
  • Have honest conversations with your church community about the role of corporate boycotts and Christian responsibility in the marketplace.
1 people are praying for this

Read more