Pastor Jamal Bryant calls for Dollar General protests after Target boycott

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Metro Atlanta megachurch pastor Jamal Bryant is shifting his focus to another retailer after a months-long boycott of Target over corporate rollbacks of diversity initiatives.

In an interview with USA Today, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church said that he is calling for an electronic protest of Dollar General.

The backstory:

In February, Bryant took to the pulpit to urge his congregants to boycott Target to show the company the impact of Black consumers.

That 40-day "fast" for Lent has expanded to a full boycott that has spread to churches across the country.

On Sunday, Bryant led a peaceful prayer protest outside a Target store in Conyers to honor the anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd.

Prayer protest outside Target

Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church led a nationwide prayer protest on the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death, urging churches to demonstrate outside Target stores for nine minutes and 40 seconds.

Target has faced declining sales, with company leadership citing a range of factors, including tariffs and economic pressures. A spokesperson told Business Insider that the company remains committed to fostering inclusivity for all customers.

What they're saying:

On Wednesday, Bryant announced that he was going to put pressure on Dollar General, saying that the company had "walked away from DEI."

"Target is canceled since they have betrayed and walked away from our community, and we've gone on from there,'' Bryant told USA Today. "We're done with Target, and then our next focus will be around Dollar General."

Instead of a boycott, Bryant is asking supporters to flood the company's email accounts, phone lines, and social media.

"Like other corporations, Dollar General has bowed to pressure from the Trump administration and rolled back their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives," Bryant said. "Dollar General also needs to be held accountable for failing to invest in the very Black and low-income communities that make up the backbone of their customer base. This isn’t just a corporate retreat − it’s a betrayal of the people they profit from."

Bryant said that he is not calling for a full boycott due to there being parts of the country where the stores are the only locations where consumers can get produce.

What's next:

Bryant said the electronic protest is beginning immediately.

You can learn more about the protest here.