CHICAGO (WLS) — Civil rights leaders held a peaceful rally on State Street Thursday to protest Target.
Rev. Jesse Jackson was part of a group from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Among the protesters were religious leaders, activists, members of the Black community, and shoppers.
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They gathered outside the Target store at 1 S. State St. to protest because the chain reduced its efforts in diversity and inclusion earlier this year.
SEE MORE: Father Pfleger, faith leaders call for boycott of Target after company scales back DEI initiatives
As they raised their fists in solidarity, their message was clear: Without the support of DEI, their wallets will stay closed.
“We come to outside of Target to put a target on Target,” said Pastor Charlie Dates, with Progressive Baptist Church.
Pastor Jamal Bryant, who led the national boycott, was in town for the event, and shared his reasons.
“Some might ask, why Target? While many companies have lessened their DEI initiatives, why focus on Target? After Trump’s inauguration, over 24 companies reduced their DEI efforts. We’re addressing this issue one company at a time. We chose Target because we felt deeply betrayed. African Americans spend almost $12 million daily, and Target is one of the largest employers of African Americans in the U.S. We’ve been loyal to them, but they haven’t shown the same commitment to us. So, we have decided to redirect our spending,” explained Bryant.
Bryant is the pastor at New Birth Baptist Church in Atlanta. He’s led protests across the country against Target’s decision to end its DEI programs, including its racial equity action and change initiatives.
“We actually thought that we were living in a post-racial America, to know that we are still coloring within the same lines. The CEO of Target made a pledge of $2 billion to the Black community. Magically, after of the inauguration of Donald John Trump. He reneged on it,” he said.
But he says the issue is bigger than Target, highlighting what he says are racial inequities in the Trump administration.
“All of America is grieving, and it is groaning because we see that Target is not just a store, but it has become a way of life,” Bryant said.
In the last quarter, Target reported weaker than expected sales. The company’s CEO said this was due in part to the uncertainty over tariffs and a boycott of the retailer because of a rollback of diversity initiatives.
Those in support of the protest say the company is missing a major opportunity.
“If the African American Hispanic wealth gap closes and matches the white households, that’s a 4 to 6% increase in GDP. It’s worth $16 trillion over the next 20 years. We’re worth investing in,” said Yusef Jackson, with Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Target said in a statement: “Target is absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone – our team members, our guests and our supply partners. Today we are proud of the progress we’ve made since 2020 and believe it has allowed us to better serve the needs of our customers. In the last five years, we have: committed to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses and brands; supported students at over 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); invested $100 million to Black-led community organizations; given scholarships to over 30,000 members of our team to advance their careers; committed 5% of our profit to the communities we operate in; volunteered millions of hours to organizations across the country and created meaningful opportunities for our team members to thrive both personally and professionally.
“Going forward, we’re committed to expanding opportunity by supporting small businesses, increasing access to education, and creating the best team to serve the more than 2,000 communities where Target operates.”
Protestors say those commitments are in the past.
The protesters made specific demands of Target, including putting a target on a historically black college or university’s campus, renaming DEI and investing $250 million in Black businesses.
That last demand was something Target had promised to do by June 30.
Some at Thursday’s rally met with Target’s CEO, but have not heard back on those demands.
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