Target boycott ends after yearlong campaign over diversity initiatives Leaders of a high-profile boycott against Target announced Wednesday they are ending their yearlong campaign, which had been sparked by the retailer’s decision to scale back some diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The campaign, led by activists including former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, Rev. William “Bill” Bryant, and Tamika D. Mallory, had drawn national attention as a response to Target’s perceived retreat from post-George Floyd commitments to support Black-owned businesses and minority communities. The boycott, which began in early 2025, was launched after Target announced in January that it was scaling back certain diversity initiatives, a move that coincided with President Trump’s return to the White House. Rev. Bryant, pastor of a prominent Metro Atlanta megachurch, initiated a 40-day Lent boycott, arguing the company had abandoned its promises to advance racial equity. The campaign drew inspiration from historic civil rights movements, such as the Montgomery and Birmingham campaigns, and became part of a broader effort by Black leaders to use economic pressure to counter corporate rollbacks on diversity and inclusion programs. Turner described the boycott’s catalyst as Target’s “bending to bigotry” after rolling back programs that supported Black products and minority-owned businesses. She recounted how she first reached out to Mallory, whom she referred to as her “sister-friend,” and together they connected with Bryant to form what they called the “Mothership Three.” The trio emphasized Target’s pledge to fulfill its 2021 commitment to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses, which they argued would more than double the number of Black-owned brands on its shelves.#target #michael_fiddelke #nina_turner #william_bryant #tamika_d_mallory
