Black Community Leaders Call To End Target Boycott They Did Not Initiate

Pastor Bryant, alongside leaders like Tamika Mallory and Nina Turner, held a press conference at the National Press Club to announce the conclusion of the "Target Fast". Bryant stated that Target had fulfilled 97% of its $2 billion pledge to Black-owned businesses and recommitted to diversity through its "Belonging" program.

He credited the boycott with causing a $12.4 billion drop in Target's market value and forcing leadership changes.

Bryant framed the end as a strategic move to focus on other "fights," though he admitted Target had not met every single demand.

The announcement was immediately met with a firm rebuttal from grassroots organizers and social media commentators who claim Bryant "interjected" himself into a movement he didn't own.

Local activists in Minneapolis, including Nekima Levy Armstrong, asserted that the boycott was built on the "blood, sweat, and tears" of local people and that Target "went around" true leaders to negotiate with Bryant. Many Black women on platforms like Threads and Instagram expressed that the boycott was a collective action they started, and Bryant who initially called for a 40-day "fast" during Lent cannot unilaterally end a national movement.

Critics argue that Target has only rebranded its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies under the name "Belonging" without making substantive reversals of their 2025 rollbacks.

While Bryant has officially withdrawn his organization's support, many activists insist the boycott is active and indefinite. They continue to demand a public apology to Black customers and further transparency regarding Target's community investments. ++