Target boycott: Atlanta pastor plans 2nd phase after 40-day 'fast'
The Target logo is displayed at a Target store on August 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Target is set to release its second quarter earnings report before tomorrow's opening bell. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - The planned 40 days of Rev. Jamal Bryant's Target boycott are nearly over, but the Atlanta religious leader says the pressure on the big box chain isn't ending anytime soon.
The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church pastor says he plans to announce the next phase on Easter Sunday.
The backstory:
On Jan. 24, Target announced that it would be ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers, and 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 would also conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles.
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In response, Bryant took to the pulpit to urge his congregants to boycott the corporation during Lent to show the company the impact of Black consumers.
Calling the action a "fast," Bryant asked participants to sell shares of Target's stock and not shop at its stores.
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Jamal Bryant
"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."
By the numbers:
According to Retail Brew, Target's stock dropped to a four-year low this month, and the company has reported decreased foot traffic in its stores.
Data from analytics firm Placer.ai showed that Target's foot traffic has dropped for 10 consecutive weeks, the outlet reported.
What they're saying:
Writing on Facebook on Wednesday, Bryant said that nearly 200,000 people had signed up to take part in the fast.
"They’ve lost billions, stock has dropped, foot traffic is silent and @target still hasn’t budged," Bryant wrote.
What's next:
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is hosting a Bullseye Black Market, a marketplace spotlighting more than 100 Black entrepreneurs, over the weekend.
Church officials say that some of the vendors at the event either have or previously had a retail presence in Target stores.
U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson and DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson will join Bryant and first lady Dr. Karri Bryant to open the marketplace.
The church is expected to release a public report on the movement's economic impact in the upcoming weeks.
Meanwhile, Target reportedly has reached out to the Rev. Al Sharpton to meet this week in New York, CNBC reports.
The Source: Information for this story came from reports by CNBC and Retail Brew, as well as social media posts and release by Rev. Jamal Bryant and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.