A yearlong boycott of the retailer Target led by Black faith leaders officially ended March 11, with organizers saying the campaign succeeded in forcing a national conversation about corporate commitments to diversity and economic equity.

Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia; Tamika Mallory, co-founder of Until Freedom; and the Honorable Nina Turner, former Democratic senator from Ohio, briefed reporters at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to provide an update on the nationwide Target Fast and report on where discussions currently stand regarding the campaign’s four original demands directed at Target.

“We asked for four things more than a year ago; we got three of them,” Bryant announced.

“Target confirmed that, by April 2026, it will fulfill its $2 billion commitment to spend with Black-owned businesses, which the company reports is now more than 95% fulfilled, and said partnerships with Black-owned brands are expected to continue beyond that milestone. The company also indicated it plans to maintain comparable levels of investment in Community Development Financial Institutions, where it has invested nearly $20 million since 2020, though broader investment in Black-owned banks remains an area where leaders say progress is still to be seen,” Bryant summarized.

“Target also said it will maintain its existing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts but does not plan to introduce new initiatives. Regarding engagement and partnership with historically Black colleges and universities, Target will launch a new partnership this fall at a yet-to-be-named Southern HBCU and has invested $10 million that helped reopen the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design in Detroit, the only HBCU design school, followed by similar partnerships with additional schools. They detailed their contributions to the United Negro College Fund and scholarship programs supporting educational opportunity and workforce development.”

A Faith-Led Economic Protest

“The protest demonstrated the continuing influence of the Black church in economic justice movements,” Bryant said, drawing comparisons to historic faith-led protests such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955.

“The Black church has always been a moral compass in moments when corporations and institutions needed to be reminded of their commitments.”

The protest began in early 2025 as a 40-day “Target fast” during the season of Lent. The effort was organized by the Rev. Jamal Harrison Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, who urged consumers — especially Black Christians — to refrain from shopping at Target stores or online.

Bryant said the fast had been both a spiritual discipline and an economic protest following the company’s decision to scale back several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Target announced in January 2025 that it would end DEI goals, stop reporting to some diversity watchdog groups, and scale back programs aimed at increasing products from minority-owned businesses. The changes drew criticism from civil rights leaders and activists who argued the retailer was backtracking from commitments made following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.

From Lenten Fast to Nationwide Boycott

What began as a Lenten fast soon evolved into a nationwide boycott that lasted more than a year. Activists said the protest demonstrated the economic influence of Black consumers, whose collective buying power in the United States is estimated at roughly $2 trillion annually.

During the boycott, organizers outlined several demands, including that Target honor a previously announced $2 billion pledge to support Black businesses, deposit funds in Black-owned banks, and restore diversity initiatives that had been reduced.

Bryant and other leaders argued that economic pressure has historically been one of the most effective tools for social change. The fast echoed earlier faith-based economic protests tied to the Civil Rights Movement, during which church networks mobilized consumers to use their spending power strategically.

“Fasting is not just about what we abstain from; it’s about what we embrace,” Bryant said, explaining the campaign and urging participants to redirect spending toward businesses that support economic justice.

Campaign organizers compiled a directory of Black-owned businesses to support instead of Target and enlisted churches that held Black Wall Street gatherings throughout the year, particularly during major holiday shopping weeks.

Measuring the Impact

Retail analysts and activists say the protest drew widespread attention and may have contributed to declining foot traffic and sales challenges for the company during parts of 2025, though economists caution that broader retail trends also played a role.

Bryant has claimed the boycott cost the company billions of dollars and reduced store traffic, though those figures have not been independently verified.

“Although not all of the companies were connected to Target through DEI, many still experienced an immediate loss of revenue,” Mallory, co-founder of Until Freedom, told The Root. “When the boycott began, we made a very intentional effort to encourage people to support those brands directly. That effort also revealed challenges. Many entrepreneurs did not yet have fully developed websites or the distribution systems needed to quickly scale direct-to-consumer sales.”

Mallory added that one of the biggest lessons from the Target fast is that Black business owners must be prepared for self-sustainability.

The Boycott Ends — But the Movement Continues

At the news briefing announcing the end of the fast, activist leaders said the campaign’s primary goal — raising national awareness about corporate accountability to Black communities — had largely been achieved.

In a statement, Target said it remains committed to “creating opportunity and growth for all,” while continuing to evaluate its policies and community partnerships.

Fast organizers emphasized that ending the fast does not mean the broader movement has concluded. Instead, they described the next phase as continued monitoring of corporate behavior and sustained support for Black-owned businesses.

“It is Target’s and every business’ responsibility to create an environment where a customer or an employee can be safe and their civil rights and civil liberties protected; otherwise, they should close their doors,” Turner, founder of We Are Somebody, told The Root.

“Our human rights don’t end in the parking lot, and in this truth we can expand and strengthen our coalition around every issue we face.”

Faith leaders said the fast demonstrated how spiritual practices such as fasting and prayer can be paired with economic protest — a combination they believe remains powerful in shaping corporate behavior and public policy.

“This has never been only about one store,” Bryant said during the campaign. “It’s about respect for the communities that help build these companies.”