After a 40‑day Lenten “fast” drops Target’s valuation by an estimated $12 billion, New Birth pastor urges Black consumers to escalate their stand for corporate accountability
Dr. Jamal Bryant, Senior Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, announced on Easter Sunday that the 40-day Target Fast will transition into a full boycott until the company reinstates and expands its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments. Bryant launched the action in February after Target revealed plans to sunset the racial‑equity programs it created in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. Over 200,000 people signed on, pledging not to shop at the retailer and to divest their stock holdings. According to Bryant, during the fast: the share price fell from $138 to $94, in store foot traffic declined 7.9%, and market capitalization dropped roughly $12 billion.
After a recent meeting with Target executives, the company agreed to 1 demand out of 4 they initially agreed to, which is to honor its outstanding $2 billion pledge to support Black-owned businesses. As of today the retailer has not committed to: depositing $250 million in Black-owned banks, restoring long-term DEI benchmarks, and funding retail-skills pipeline centers at 10 HBCUs. Until these demands are met, Bryant urges supporters to not go back.
The next steps include a town-hall meeting at New Birth on Tuesday, April 29, at 7pm — where Target CEO Brian Cornell has been invited to engage directly with the consumers, small-business owners, HBCU students, and faith leaders in person and through a livestream on Youtube, Facebook, and the Word Network. Simultaneously, Bryant is issuing a national call for consumers to redirect their purchasing to retailers and e-commerce platforms that publish audited DEI metrics, maintain a transparent supplier-diversity scorecard, and bank with mission-driven financial institutions; a vetted list of such companies will be released on May 1.
Bryant is also encouraging shareholders to file proxy questions by May 10, ahead of Target’s annual meeting, pressing leadership on concrete DEI goals, pay-equity audits, and the promised community-bank deposits. Bryant’s charge to the movement is simple: keep applying pressure until justice, jobs, and genuine inclusion roll down like water.
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About Pastor Jamal Bryant
Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant is a dynamic pastor, visionary leader, and political activist. As the Senior Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, GA, one of the largest African American congregations in the country, he leads with a commitment to social justice, economic empowerment, and community development. Under his leadership, New Birth has opened a full-service medical facility, is constructing 150 mini homes for first-time homebuyers, and has provided critical support to over one million families during the pandemic. Dr. Bryant’s impact extends beyond the church. As the former National Youth and College Director of the NAACP, he led non-violent campaigns for over 70,000 young people worldwide. With academic achievements from Morehouse College, Duke University, Oxford University, and The Graduate Theological Foundation, Dr. Bryant continues to champion causes that uplift the Black community.
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