Pastor Jamal Bryant is calling out corporations for their business practices and is encouraging consumers to do the same. In March, Bryant successfully led what he called a “Target fast,” boycotting the retailer’s decision to roll back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in compliance with the Trump administration’s demands.
The fast, which was initially supposed to last through Lent, ended up being indefinite, and the impact has been undeniable. As consumers continue to protest Target, multiple reports from the retailer have noted a decline in sales, foot traffic, and warnings to investors about the impact of these boycotts.
“This boycott against Target is the most successful boycott by black people in 70 years, since the Montgomery Bus Boycott. They’ve lost $12 billion in valuation. Their stock tumbled from $145 a share to $93 a share. The CEO’s salary was cut by 43%,” Bryant told CNN. “So I just wanted to put an asterisk on what happens when our community mobilizes and stays focused. We have canceled Target with 13 weeks in and decided we shouldn’t have to grovel for respect when we give $12 million a day.”
And now, Bryant is encouraging Black communities to boycott Dollar General.
“We chose Dollar General because it’s three times larger than Target and Walmart combined and has never given to any organization within the black community. Dollar General is within five miles of 75% of Americans’ homes, and still no accountability. They contribute to food deserts, not just an absence of food but also an absence of fairness, and so we wanted to hold them accountable,” he explained.
Additionally, Bryant notes how Dollar General has “bowed to pressure from the Trump administration and rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives,” per USA Today. He also notes how the retailer has failed to invest in the communities that “make up the backbone of their customer base.”
In many parts of the country, especially food deserts, Dollar General is the only retailer that gives consumers access to fresh produce. So, Bryant and his group are shifting their approach to this boycott. Unlike the Target boycott, which only encouraged people to stop shopping with the retailer, Bryant’s Dollar General boycott includes a virtual protest.
“The inundation of Dollar General [stores] is in communities of 20,000 or less. And regrettably, they stand as the only portal for [these] people to access food and vegetation,” he explained. “So, for those communities, where that is their only option, we don’t want to cause any further damage. But in urban areas, we’re asking them to stay away, and everybody to call and to email, and to use social media, just as we did with Target.”
