Nationwide — Pastor Jamal Bryant said Target’s leadership change will not end his fight for accountability, as he continues to push the company to honor its promises to Black communities and demands supporters keep up the pressure.
Target confirmed that Michael Fiddelke will replace Brian Cornell as CEO during a period of falling sales and ongoing boycotts. Bryant, who has led calls against the company, said he is “almost excited” about the change but remains doubtful it will bring real progress.
“Our demands have not changed since February,” Bryant said, according to 11Alive. He called on Target to honor its $2 million pledge to the George Floyd family, invest $250 million in Black banks, partner with six HBCUs, and reshape its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Bryant’s campaign has gained traction, with 350,000 people signing his petition to boycott Target. He has also pointed supporters toward hundreds of thousands of Black-owned businesses nationwide as alternative places to shop.
The boycott has hit Target financially, a fact the company itself has admitted. Bryant said the Black community’s $2 trillion in spending power shows how much influence consumers hold.
“That force hasn’t been fully targeted — no pun intended. Seventy years ago, we stopped a bus in Montgomery. Now, 70 years later, we’re holding the retail industry accountable for betraying our community.”
Bryant also revealed his next target: Dollar General. He criticized the chain for operating mostly in rural areas, employing more than 300,000 workers — many of them part-time to avoid providing benefits.
Beyond boycotts, Bryant continues pushing economic empowerment through his church, which is offering entrepreneurial training and building homes for first-time buyers as part of its wider mission for financial justice.
Source: BlackNews.com
