Starting Wednesday, some shoppers have decided to participate in a month-plus-long boycott of Target due to the retailer’s new shift away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
“We’re asking people to divest from Target because they have turned their back on our community,” Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, told CNN. Bryant is the organizer behind the boycott, and is specifically asking Black shoppers to fight against anti-DEI policies with their dollar. The boycott is starting on the first day of Lent, and will concurrently last a total of 40 days.
Target was one of several corporations—including Disney and Google—that announced they would be reversing course on their DEI efforts following President Donald Trump’s January Executive Order attacking DEI, where he called it an “illegal and immoral discrimination program.”
Read More: Why Consumers Held an ‘Economic Blackout’ on Feb. 28
More specifically, the company announced on Jan. 24 it would put an end to their three-year DEI goals, Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) initiatives, and “external diversity-focused surveys,” including the Human Right Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. In that same press release, Target said it “remain[s] focused on driving our business by creating a sense of belonging for our team, guests and communities through a commitment to inclusion.”
Still, the decision has proven unpopular by some customers. “Black people spend upwards of $12 million dollars a day, and so we would expect some loyalty, some decency and some camaraderie,” Bryant added. And the current boycott is not the only one targeting larger corporations. During the economic blackout last Friday, Target reportedly saw a drop in traffic both online and the app.
“These un-American proposals are already leading to negative impact to the bottom lines of some of America’s biggest companies,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of GLAAD, a nonprofit that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, in a press release on March 4. “Target may blame cold weather for declining profits, but at the end of the day, they need to look inward. Now is the time for corporate leaders to lead.”
Target did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment.
Read More: The Major U.S. Companies Scaling Back DEI Efforts as Trump Targets Initiatives
Target is one of several major retailers that are facing a flurry of attacks from progressive shoppers who have been critical of the company’s decision to rollback its commitment to DEI. The retailer previously seemed to cater to the diverse spectrum of its U.S. base, issuing an annual Pride collection and also launching products during Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.
But the company has been in murky waters with some of its customers for years. In 2023, LGBTQ+ activists condemned Target after the company opted to remove some of its Pride Collection after team members received safety threats.
Their decision to take a step back from previous inclusive efforts differs from that of others, such as Ben & Jerry’s and Costco, which have remained firm in their commitments.
Read More: These U.S. Companies Are Not Ditching DEI Amid Trump’s Crackdown
It’s a corporate decision that could prove costly. A report from Collage Group released in February found that a third of consumers stopped shopping at their favorite store due to cuts to DEI commitments. The issue is especially pronounced for Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ shoppers.
Either way, the future of DEI, at least on the federal level, partially depends on the courts. The Trump Administration has faced a number of lawsuits following the new directive, and the courts have issued an injunction on parts of his anti-DEI Executive Order. Most recently, a federal judge from Maryland declined to issue a stay on the injunction.
