A noted megachurch pastor is calling for a protest on the fifth anniversary of the death of George Floyd over Memorial Day weekend, urging parishioners to come with him to protest outside of a Georgia Target for nine minutes and 40 seconds — the amount of time that, according to the pastor, Floyd spent suffocating.
For context, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25, 2020, while he was in the custody of police officer Derek Chauvin and three other policemen in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd’s death was filmed by a bystander, and it led to a string of violent protests in Minneapolis and across the country. During a May 18, 2025, sermon at New Birth church, Pastor Jamal Bryant invited his congregation to join him in protesting on May 25, 2025, the five-year anniversary of Floyd’s death.
During the sermon, which was broadcast live on YouTube, Pastor Bryant told his congregation, “Next Sunday will mark the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. Next Sunday is the fifth anniversary, where the world stood still as a consequence, hallmarking (sic) that moment. Next Sunday, we are going to Target in Conyers.”
Continuing, Bryant explained his plan to the congregation, saying, “We are not going in. We’re going outside in righteous indignation, and so, as a consequence, we are going for prayer.” Furthermore, Bryant told the gathered worshipers, “You are an influential church. You’re an influential ministry. Next Sunday, I hope you’ll cheer with me; not only will we be doing it, but 67 churches around the country.”
In addition, according to The Christian Post, Bryant picked Target as the location for his proposed protest because of the retail store’s recent decision to scale back its DEI programs. Bryant reportedly said that the retail chain cutting its DEI initiatives was “[spitting] in the face of black people.”
Furthermore, Bryant explained that as a result of a national black boycott of Target, the company’s stock went from a reported $138 a share to $94. In addition, Bryant wrongfully called Target a “trillion-dollar company,” adding, “Foot traffic at Target has gone down by 7.9 percent. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that you will share with me in your enthusiasm for people who thought it was ineffective and there would be no results…because of your fast, Target has lost $12 billion.”
Moreover, Bryant said that when Target reportedly offered to invest $2 billion into black-owned businesses, the gesture was insufficient, saying, “We had four asks and only walked away with one thing. I want to tell you what that one thing is. Target has agreed that by July 31st, they will complete the pledge of $2 billion for black businesses.” He added, “But the other three things we have no commitment on, and we don’t have anything to stand on because their currency does not ride with us.”
Pastor Bryant’s proposed protest and the boycott of Target came about not long after President Trump vowed on January 21, 2025, to end “illegal discrimination” and restore “merit-based opportunity” by doing away with dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) or ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) that can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation.”
Watch Pastor Bryant’s invitation to the protest:
Featured image credit: Pastor Jamal Bryant via X