Chabeli Carrazana is a reporter for The 19th.

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A Pastor Said the Target Boycott Was Over. Black Women Who Started It Disagree

by Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th 03-17-2026
View of cashier stations inside a Target store in Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2025. A call for an ‘economic blackout’ promoted on social media has been made to consumers to avoid spending any money targeting business that have rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Photo by Anthony Behar/SipaUSA via Reuters.

Whatever you may have heard about the Target boycott ending, here’s the truth: The boycott is not over for many Black women. It probably never will be.

A year ago, Black women started the movement to boycott the retail giant after it made a U-turn on its numerous commitments to racial equity—and particularly the Black community. That movement took various forms: Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner called for a national boycott, as did grassroots activists in Minneapolis, where Target is based. Rev. Jamal Harrison Bryant of Atlanta’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church also launched a 40-day “Target fast” that stretched into nearly 400.

The boycott played a key role in a year of declining sales and profits that forced CEO Brian Cornell to step down. Target’s stock price dropped about 30 percent in 2025. 

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