Target boycott over diversity cuts still active, organizers say

Organizers behind the boycott of Target Corporation say the campaign remains active, rejecting claims that the protest movement has ended.

Community leaders in Minneapolis said the boycott, which began in February 2025, will continue until the retailer reverses its decision to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The statement came after Jamal Bryant, a pastor from Atlanta who had supported the campaign, announced that the protest effort was “officially concluding.”

However, Minneapolis organizers — including civil rights advocates Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, and Jaylani Hussein — said Bryant does not represent the broader movement.

“We stood for us and with the community,” Levy Armstrong said during a news conference. “We speak for our community, and the boycott continues.”

Activists first called for a nationwide boycott after Target announced it would end several diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

The initiatives had been launched after the George Floyd killing in 2020 and were designed to support Black employees, improve the shopping experience for Black customers and promote Black-owned businesses.

Hussein said the company has not reversed those policies, prompting activists to continue their pressure campaign.

“What we have learned is that Target has not made a single concession,” he said. “They are continuing their plan despite the concerns raised by the community.”

Target executives have acknowledged that the boycott has affected business performance.

In an interview earlier this month, Target CEO Michael Fiddelke said the protests contributed to a decline in sales.

“We know we’ve got trust to win back with guests,” Fiddelke said. “There’s no easy button to rebuild that trust, but we will do the work.”

Activists say the boycott will continue until the company restores its diversity initiatives and addresses community concerns.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada