The Boycott Heard Around the Aisles: How Target’s DEI Rollback Sparked a Movement

In early 2025, Target—the big-box giant once praised for its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments—made a stunning pivot. The company quietly scaled back several of its DEI initiatives, including parts of its much-publicized $2 billion investment in Black-owned businesses, bowing to political pressure in a shifting national climate. For many, it was more than a policy change—it was a betrayal.

The response was swift and unapologetic.

From Ash Wednesday to Activism

Reverend Jamal Harrison Bryant, pastor of the 10,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church outside Atlanta, called for a 40-day “Target Fast” beginning on Ash Wednesday. His message was clear: racist America responds to dollars.

What began as a symbolic period of economic withdrawal soon evolved into a full boycott. By spring, more than 250,000 people had pledged their participation. Civil rights leaders, including Rev. Al Sharpton, lent their voices in support, framing the action as both a spiritual and strategic stand for economic justice.

The Price Tag of Protest

Target’s bottom line took a direct hit:

• $12.4 billion wiped from its market value in just weeks, with shares dropping over $27 by the end of February.

• Q4 sales fell 3.1%, while foot traffic dropped 5.7% year-over-year during mid-March—marking the eighth consecutive week of decline.

• Analysts estimated an annualized sales loss of $500 million.

The message was undeniable: the community’s dollars, when withheld in unison, could shake even a Fortune 500 giant.

Unity, Tension, and the Question of Collateral Damage

While many embraced the boycott as a moral and strategic necessity, some Black-owned brands sounded the alarm. Their products—stocked on Target shelves—depended on the retailer’s reach. Actress and entrepreneur Tabitha Brown urged caution, warning that pulling support from Target could unintentionally harm the very businesses the community wanted to uplift.

Rev. Bryant countered by building alternatives:

• Converting mega-church spaces into retail hubs for Black-owned products.

• Launching targetfast.org, a digital directory featuring more than 150,000 Black-owned businesses.

  
  

More Than a Hashtag: A Legacy of Economic Resistance

The Target boycott wasn’t born in a vacuum. It drew from the same lineage as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, proving once again that economic protest can serve as a potent lever for social change. And like its predecessors, the movement sparked broader conversations about where Black dollars flow, who benefits, and how to make sure the answer is us.

Even months later, Target struggled to recover its lost foot traffic and trust. For supporters of the boycott, this was proof that economic activism has lasting power when rooted in organization, consistency, and community vision.

Our True Colors’ Perspective

At Our True Colors, we see the Target boycott as more than a protest—it’s a blueprint. It shows that strategic spending (and strategic withholding) can shift the balance of power in the marketplace. The challenge moving forward is ensuring that moments of outrage evolve into sustained economic ecosystems that strengthen, rather than splinter, the community.

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