*In an open letter, Atlanta-based Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant has called on rapper Cardi B to join a nationwide boycott against Target, following the retailer’s decision to scale back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The boycott, which concluded on Easter 2025, saw over 150,000 participants surpass the initial goal of 100,000, led by Black activist groups and clergy like Bryant, who condemned Target’s retreat from its diversity pledges.
Target, headquartered in Minneapolis — where George Floyd’s 2020 killing sparked global protests — had promised $2 billion to support Black-owned businesses by December 2025. However, on January 24, the company announced it would abandon both this commitment and its DEI programs.
“After the murder of George Floyd, they made a $2 billion commitment to invest in Black businesses,” Bryant said in an interview with Let It Be Known News. “That commitment was due in December 2025. When they pulled out of the DEI agreement in January, they also canceled that $2 billion commitment.”
The 40-day “FAST” boycott, spanning March 3 to April 19, coincided with Lent and significantly impacted Target’s performance. According to Fortune, the retailer faced an average 6.2% drop in foot traffic over eight weeks, with a 5.7% decline for the week of March 17, per Placer.ai data. The boycott also contributed to a reduced stock value and a cut in the CEO’s salary, signaling the movement’s economic influence.
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As Ice Cream Convos reports, Bryant’s letter to Cardi B, written “with a chest full of love,” was prompted by a selfie she posted inside a Target store. He urged her to reconsider patronizing the retailer, noting, “African Americans have spent 12 million dollars a day, and yet they don’t see us as a viable partner.”
“We’ve asked them to invest in Black banks, Black colleges, and Black communities, and under pressure from the administration, they haven’t felt compelled to even respond,” his letter states. “Our unified movement of churches and grassroots organizations has led to a drop in their stock, a reduction of foot traffic, a reduction in their valuation, and a slashing of the CEO’s salary.”
Highlighting her 163 million followers, Bryant invited her to visit targetfast.org and join the movement, which also has support from Latino communities. Quoting Martin Luther King, he wrote, “A person who doesn’t stand for something will fall for anything,” emphasizing the boycott’s historic potential.
“Your presence could be part of the most effective boycott in 70 years since the Montgomery Bus Boycott,” Bryant wrote.
Read his full letter in the Instagram post below.
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