A Georgia pastor has called out his own church for accepting a $300,000 donation from Target following the retailer’s decision to phase out Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church just outside of Atlanta, is one of the driving forces behind a boycott of Target after the company scaled back its DEI commitments.
In a sermon, Bryant accused the National Baptist Convention of “selling out” after the denomination accepted the donation from Target and accused the company of bypassing him in an effort to win back the support of Black consumers.
Target previously said the boycotts had done some damage to sales during a quarter call with analysts in May.
“You thought you were going to go around me and go to the National Baptist Convention and sell out for $300,000?” he said at his sermon Sunday. “Are you crazy to think that we gonna’ sell out for chump change? You must not know who we are!”
Bryant added in his sermon that he called the President of the National Baptist Convention, Rev. Boise Kimber, and demanded the organization stand with him and the boycott.
In a statement, Kimber said the church is “working on a three-year plan” with Target that will “be very beneficial to the Black community.”
“With the federal government making deep cuts in education, health care, and other essential services, we know the Black Church will be called upon to stand in the gap,” Kimber said. “Our outreach programs serving both our congregants and the broader community must be fully resourced to respond to the need. I am proud to say we will answer the call.”
“Target’s generous donation will help us provide scholarships, support senior citizens, and invest in entrepreneurship programs that uplift our people and the future,” he added.
In response to Bryant and other criticism, Target said it was “proud” to be partnering with the church “to make a meaningful impact in communities across the country by supporting access to education, economic development initiatives and entrepreneurship programs.”
The boycott was initially slated to last 40 days, but will continue until Target agrees to four demands put forward by the pastor.
The demands call for Target to fully commit to DEI at every level of the company, honor its previous pledge to invest $2 billion in the Black business community, deposit $250 million in 23 Black-owned banks, and partner with business programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to support young entrepreneurs.
“Target is working hard to divide our community rather than stand on the principles of dignity and decency,” Bryant said in a follow up post on Instagram. “We are working hard with the heads of the denominations to find resolve that shows solidarity. Stay out of target because we are standing on business. Together there’s nothing we can’t accomplish and we will fight on until victory is won!”
