Target’s decision has surprised some, as the company was previously vocal about its commitment to DEI following the death of George Floyd. Its past commitments included increasing its Black workforce by 20% and spending more than $2 billion dollars with Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025.
Target has drawn controversy in the past for its public efforts toward inclusion, a notable example being its products celebrating Pride Month. However, the company did scale back its Pride collection in 2024 following backlash.
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Pastor Jamal Bryant told the congregation Sunday that his preaching topic was: “I feel like I’m being targeted.”
During his sermon, Bryant said that beginning on March 5, which is Ash Wednesday, he is calling his church to 40 days of prayer during Lent. Lent is a period in the church calendar prior to Easter when many Christians practice self-denial.
“I’m calling us as a church,” said Bryant, “that in the season of Lent, which is the 40 days leading up to Easter, our church is gonna be in a fast, a 40 days of consistent prayer.”
The pastor said the church will be in prayer all 40 days of Lent, whether virtually, in person, or via phone. Second, Bryant said he was calling the “conscientious Christian community all over this country” to participate in a 40-day fast from Target. The congregation responded with cheers and applause.
Bryant is believing for “100,000 conscientious Christians” of any race to make their commitment to the Target boycott official by signing a form at targetfast.org.
The webpage includes images from the civil rights movement, including one showing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as photos of gospel artist Kirk Franklin and author and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
The page says, “This Lent, we will begin a corporate fast, starting with Target, as a spiritual act of resistance. Just as Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, challenging the exploitation and hypocrisy of his day, we too must disrupt business as usual.”
