Pastor Jamal Bryant calls for 40-day 'fast' from Target over end to DEI policy

The Target logo is displayed at a Target store in Los Angeles. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A popular metro Atlanta pastor is calling for a 40-day "fast" from Target over the company's decision to phase out its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

New Birth Baptist Church Dr. Jamal Bryant wants 100,000 people to sign a petition and not shop at the store.

Calls for Target boycott over dropping DEI

The backstory:

The Minneapolis-based retailer announced on Jan. 24 that it would be ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote Black-owned businesses following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it already had planned to end the racial program this year. The company said Friday that it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles.

The goals included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups, and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities.

Other companies that have reduced or phased out DEI commitments in recent months include Walmart, McDonald's, Ford, and John Deere.

What they're saying:

Speaking on Sunday, Bryant joined the calls by activists to fast from Target, essentially boycotting the corporation by selling shares of its stock and not shopping at its stores. During his sermon, he said the company "spit in the face of Black people" with its decision.

"They are trying to kiss the ring of the president who thinks he is king," Bryant said.

Pastor Jamal Bryant attends Percy "Master P" Miller Live "Let's Be Clear" podcast recording and book signing event at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on Oct. 22, 2024 in Stonecrest, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images)

He pointed out the millions of dollars that Black consumers spend every month at the chain.

"I want the stock to go down because we are standing in righteous indignation against racism and sexism in this nation," he said. "We are going to break the spirit of white entitlement. We are going to break the spirit of racism and sexism."

He called the congregation to spend the 40 days of Lent, which begins on March 5, in a boycott of the company. The delay in the "fast" was so that Black-owned businesses sold at Target could move their inventory and not be impacted as strongly, he said. He also mentioned those who participate in the "fast" would have access to the National Black Chamber of Commerce's digital directory of 300,000 Black-owned businesses to support instead of Target.

The other side:

In a memo to employees, Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, described the DEI decisions as a "next chapter" in the company’s decades-long process to create "inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all."

"Many years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy," Fernandez wrote in the memo, which Target shared in January. "And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future."

What you can do:

To learn more about the calls for a boycott and see the organizer's demands, visit the event's website

The Source: Information for this story was taken from a transcript of a livestream from New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, previous FOX 5 reporting, and the Associated Press.

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