Dr. Jamal Bryant says the Target boycott is over, and the reactions are coming in strong. The woman who started the boycott, along with more than 15 others, says ending it isn’t his call.
The boycott started after Target rolled back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in early 2025. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in metro Atlanta, launched a 40-day “Target Fast” during Lent that year, and it grew into a yearlong campaign through churches across the country.
On March 11, 2026, Bryant announced the Target Fast was over after meeting with new Target CEO Michael Fiddelke. He said Target had delivered 97% of its $2 billion commitment to Black-owned businesses, with the rest expected by Easter, and he called it the most effective Black boycott since the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Target’s stock has climbed more than 20% so far in 2026 after a tough 2025.
Not everyone agreed. Minneapolis activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who helped start the original boycott before Bryant’s fast, said the boycott continues because Target hasn’t reversed its DEI decisions. Nina Turner and Tamika Mallory also weighed in. Bryant later apologized for the confusion, credited the women who started the movement, and said the Target Fast was always a separate effort from the boycott itself.
So, is it over or not? It depends on who you ask.
Watch the debate above and tell me where you stand. Subscribe to my YouTube channel @Freddyo1983 for more.
Leave a Reply