Target recently shuttered its DEI programs. In response, activist and preacher Rev. Jamal Bryant called for an organized boycott. This protest, which he referred to as a fast, includes a list of demands. He wants Target to reinstate the program, deposit hundreds of millions of dollars at black-owned banks, and spend $ 2 billion at black-owned businesses.
“I am calling for a 40-day fast from Target. Beginning on March the fifth. 100,000 conscientious Christians. You don’t have to be black, Latino, Asian, white. 100,000 you’re going to assign this commitment to be a part of this 40-day fast 100,000 of you bare minimum,” he said in a clip posted to X. Bryant is trying to use this boycott to force the retailer back into DEI policies.
“I’m asking you that after service, you’ll go to Target fast.org …if they start losing $29 million a day for 40 days, we will break the back of the system,” he added. ” I want to go on record that not only am I asking you to fast for 40 days from Target, I am telling you to sell all of your Target stock. I want the stock to go down because we are standing in righteous indignation against racism and sexism in this nation.”
“Watch this. 100,000 people are going to be a part of this fast minimum before Resurrection Sunday. How many of you all know we going to get it done? How many of you know you going to get it done?” the radical pastor preached. “I want you to please send it out to absolutely everybody. Uh, within 48 hours, you’ll receive the digital directory of all of our black businesses across the United States.”
He added that people who sign up “…will receive a 40-day daily devotional…I want you to make sure that you are locked in at a part of it.” On the website, the pastor expands on his demands. “Honor the 2 billion dollar pledge to the black business community through products, services, and black media buys. Deposit 250 million amongst any of our 23 black banks. Completely restoring the franchise commitment to DEI. Pipeline community centers at 10 HBCU[s] to teach retail business at every level,” the page bluntly reads.
“In recent days, we have witnessed a disturbing retreat from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives by major corporations—companies that once pledged to stand for justice but have since chosen the path of compromise,” the same page explains. ” These rollbacks represent more than just corporate decisions; they reflect a deeper erosion of the moral and ethical commitments necessary to build a just society. As people of faith, we cannot be silent. We are called to resist systems that perpetuate exclusion and inequity.”
The website also makes inflammatory claims about Donald Trump. ” Black History Month and Juneteenth will not be recognized by the federal government. Schools are being penalized for teaching our history. Civil rights cases have been halted. Mass deportations have begun,” it reads. ” Guantanamo Bay is being prepared to become a concentration camp, and diversity, equity, and inclusion are being dismantled right before our eyes.”
Watch Bryant’s Inflammatory Sermon Here:
“The Target fast will take place from March 5 through April 17. At the conclusion of the fast, we will collect data on its impact and attempt to meet with Target’s board to assess whether we will proceed to Phase 2,” the page concludes. ” The shareholders’ meeting is on June 12 in Minneapolis—the same city where George Floyd was killed—so we pray for resolution before then.”
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