Dr. Jamal Bryant announces end to his nationwide Target boycott, but others are pressing on with theirs

The yearlong boycott saw Target’s sales drop massively year-over-year as Black customers stayed away from the retail giant.

What originally began as a simple fast from Target turned into a nationwide boycott organized by faith leaders, including Dr. Jamal Bryant. Now, Bryant says the boycott‘s mission is complete.

During an 11-minute news conference on Wednesday (Mar. 11), Bryant thanked the incoming president and CEO Michael Fiddelke, and said that Target has committed 97% of a $2 billion commitment to Black-owned businesses, and the remaining balance should be completed by Easter.

“We are effectively, today, closing this chapter because we have other fights that we’ve got to see,” Bryant said. “Stay tuned for the next fight, but this fight for us has now reached its conclusion.”

Bryant also revealed the reason he and other boycott organizers specified Target as their first choice after the Minnesota-based retailer rolled back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies following the re-election of President Donald Trump and Trump’s executive order on DEI policies.

“The answer to that resoundingly is that Target is the only one we invited to the cookout,” Bryant said. “They are the only Fortune 500 company that has a hood nickname; we called them ‘Tarjay.’ We let them into the house, and so it was not just an abandonment of DEI, but also a betrayal to it.”

The effects of the boycott lingered for the company through 2025, as it reported sluggish sales and the ouster of former CEO Brian Cornell. So far in 2026, the company’s share price is up more than 20 percent compared to last year.

“We’re pleased to be moving forward, and we will continue showing up as trusted neighbors while delivering results for our team members, guests, and the more than 2,000 communities in which we serve,” the company said in a statement. “Because when those communities thrive, so do we.”

Bryant’s boycott made four demands of the retail giant, asking the company to fulfill its $2 billion commitment to Black businesses; make deposits totaling $250 million in 23 Black-owned banks; open 10 retail training centers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities; and reverse the January 2025 decision to end its DEI commitments.

According to Bryant, each of the demands has been met, save for the $250 million deposit in Black-owned banks.

Last week, the company unveiled bold strategies to win back customers who opted into the boycott, moving away from being an “everything store” to a store focused on “everyday families.”

Despite the boycott reaching its conclusion, it has also resulted in no concessions on the organizers’ demands for DEI programs and initiatives. According to a spokesman for Bryant, there are “no new commitments” and “no reversals.”

“They have a program called Belonging, which gives access to everybody, not just for entry-level positions, but to be able to ascend into C-suites,” Bryant told USA TODAY. “It is essentially DEI as I read it. It is the exact same thing.”

Still, it is not enough for Nekima Levy Armstrong, the founder of the Racial Justice Network.

“How can you call off a boycott focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion and have no results to show for it? That is a slap in the face for the people,” Armstrong said. “But who’s standing here? The people who actually called the boycott. The people who were actually willing to hold this company accountable and are not willing to compromise with Target Corporation until they do the right thing by the people of Minnesota and the people across this nation.”

Armstrong is urging others to continue their boycott of Target, as is Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota.

“They have not made a single concession…they have not made a single change to their policies, and they are staying the course on their plan to continue to deny diversity, equity, and inclusion in this company,” Hussein said.