Inside the Target Boycott: Pastor Jamal Bryant Reveals the Strategy & Impact

Summary

Earn Your Leisure Podcast Summary Episode: Inside the Target Boycott: Pastor Jamal Bryant Reveals the Strategy & Impact
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Hosts: Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings
Guest: Pastor Jamal Bryant

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Introduction to the Boycott

In this compelling episode of Earn Your Leisure, hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings delve into the strategic boycott of Target, guided by none other than Pastor Jamal Bryant. Pastor Bryant brings forth a nuanced discussion on the motivations, strategies, and profound impacts of this significant economic movement within the Black community.

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Why Target? Selecting the Catalyst for Change

[02:02] Pastor Jamal Bryant opens the conversation by elucidating the rationale behind choosing Target as the focal point for the boycott:

“Black people are spending $12 million a day in Target,” Pastor Bryant emphasizes, highlighting the substantial economic influence held by Black consumers within the corporation.

He further critiques Target's response following the tragic death of George Floyd:

“After the killing of George Floyd, the president and CEO of Target...came out and had a press conference and said, watch the language, family. George Floyd could have been one of my employees,” he asserts, pointing out the lack of substantial action beyond mere statements.

Target had initially pledged a $2 billion investment in Black businesses, a commitment they subsequently retracted post-inauguration. This breach of trust became a pivotal reason for the boycott.

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Demands of the Boycott: A Four-Pronged Approach

Pastor Bryant outlines four specific demands made to Target to rectify past shortcomings and promote genuine support for the Black community:

1. Investment in Black Banks:

   “Black people are spending $12 million a day in Target. Invest a quarter of a billion into black banks so black people can have access to capital to start businesses and to buy homes.”
   (02:45)

2. Partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs):
   With 27 Target stores located on college campuses, none are situated at HBCUs. The demand is for Target to partner with six HBCUs to enhance business programs, facilitating scaling, franchising, and expansion opportunities for Black entrepreneurs.
   (03:10)

3. Honoring the $2 Billion DEI Commitment:
   Despite the initial pledge, Target withdrew from its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments post-administration change. The boycott demands that Target honor this commitment, ensuring sustained investment in Black empowerment initiatives.
   (03:45)

4. Rewriting DEI Practices:
   Offering a blank check, Pastor Bryant urged Target to rewrite its DEI framework. The goal is to create tangible pathways for Black employees to ascend to C-suite positions, moving beyond tokenistic roles in warehouses or entry-level positions.
   (04:10)

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Impact of the Boycott: Shifting the Financial Landscape

Eighteen weeks into the boycott, the tangible effects on Target are evident:

• Market Valuation:
  The valuation of Target has plummeted by $12 billion, a stark indicator of the boycott's financial repercussions.
  (04:50)

• Stock Performance:
  Target’s stock price has fallen dramatically from $145 per share to $93, reflecting investor confidence waning amidst the boycott's momentum.
  (04:55)

• Foot Traffic Decline:
  Store visits have decreased by 7.9%, signaling a significant drop in day-to-day consumer engagement.
  (05:00)

• Executive Compensation:
  In response to the economic strain, Target has reduced the CEO’s salary by 42%, showcasing the internal adjustments necessitated by the boycott's financial impact.
  (05:05)

Pastor Bryant attributes these outcomes to the community's adherence to the Kwanzaa principle of cooperative economics, underscoring the collective power of unified economic actions within the Black community.

“The valuation of Target has dropped by $12 billion...all of it is thanks to us taking the Kwanzaa principle of cooperative economics.”
(05:16)

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Conclusion: A Historic Movement

Pastor Jamal Bryant reflects on the significance of the boycott:

“I'm embarrassed that this is the largest boycott for Black people in 70 years since the Montgomery bus boycott.”
(04:20)

This movement not only serves as an economic statement but also as a reclaiming of purchasing power and a push for systemic change within major corporations like Target.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Earn Your Leisure masterfully intertwines business acumen with cultural and social activism. Pastor Jamal Bryant's insights provide a profound understanding of how coordinated economic actions can influence corporate behavior and drive meaningful change within communities.

For those who seek to grasp the intersection of finance, business strategy, and social justice, this episode offers invaluable perspectives and actionable lessons.

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Notable Quotes:

• Pastor Jamal Bryant at [02:02]:
  “Black people are spending $12 million a day in Target.”

• Pastor Jamal Bryant at [05:16]:
  “The valuation of Target has dropped by $12 billion...all of it is thanks to us taking the Kwanzaa principle of cooperative economics.”

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Join the Conversation:
Stay informed and empowered by tuning into Earn Your Leisure for more in-depth discussions on finance, business, and cultural movements shaping our world.

Transcript

[Rashad Bilal]

Earners.

[Troy Millings]

What's up?

[Rashad Bilal]

Look.

[Troy Millings]

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[Pastor Jamal Bryant]

Pastor Jamal Bryant. You know, obviously a giant in the world of, you know, theology, but this is a business conversation and you've done something interesting. You've played a major part in the boycott of Target. So I want to talk about a few different things, but we got to start there, right? So for our audience and people that may not be all the way to tapped in with everything that's been going on, can you talk about why Target was selected, the demands that, you know, you guys have for Target, where the boycott stands now, like, give us the whole rundown.

[Rashad Bilal]

Yeah. So first of all, thank you, family for giving me an opportunity. There were 14 Fortune 500 companies that walked away from DEI after the inauguration of Donald John Trump. And we decided that we would follow the African proverb, the best way to eat an elephant is one piece at a time. So we focused on Target first, not last. Not only first. And we want to tell you all why. Number one, ashamedly and embarrassingly, black people spend $12 million a day in Target. Number two, without there being any protest, without there being any demonstration. After the killing of George Floyd, the president and CEO of Target, they are headquartered in Minneapolis, same place where George Floyd was killed. Came out and had a press conference and said, watch the language, family. George Floyd could have been one of my employees. Not colleagues, not staff, one of my employees. So they made a commitment of $2 billion that they were going to invest in black business. They, after the inauguration, walked away from it. So we asked for four things. The first, if black people are spending $12 million a day in Target, invest a quarter of a billion into black banks so black people can have access to capital to start businesses and to buy homes. Number two, there are 27 targets on college campuses. None of them are on HBCUs. So we asked them to partner with six HBCUs and told them to pick whatever six HBCUs they wanted for their business programs so that they could scale, so that they could franchise and so they could roll out. I'm embarrassed that this is the largest boycott for Black people in 70 years since the Montgomery bus boycott. And here's what's crazy. We didn't have a black owned franchise to redirect people to. We high five and people to go to Costco as if that's giving back to us. Number four, three was that they would honor the George Floyd commitment of $2 billion. And number four, we gave them a blank check and said, you all rewrite dei. You don't have to be called that, doesn't have to be named that, but show us a pathway where black people can make it to the C suites and not just work in the warehouse. And so that's where it is. We're 18 weeks later and I am so appreciative to your audience to help make this happen that the valuation of Target has dropped by 12 billion. The stock has dropped from $145 a share to $93 a share. Foot traffic is down by 7.9% and four weeks ago they slashed the CEO salary by 42%. And all of it is thanks to us taking the Kwanzaa principle of cooperative economics.

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