A 40-day consumer boycott on Target began Wednesday, led by activists and faith leaders in response to the company’s recent shift away from diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Atlanta-based Rev. Jamal Bryant initiated the boycott with the support of former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner and advocacy groups like Until Freedom, an organization focused on addressing systemic and racial injustice.
This boycott, referred to as a “fast,” is aligned with the Lenten season of several Christian denominations, providing an opportunity to continue economic resistance, said Until Freedom Co-Founder Angelo Pinto.
“This is a great thing to fast around to show our collective solidarity,” he said. “We saw this as a tremendous opportunity of synergy and to rally more troops.”
Pinto said after Until Freedom participated in the Feb 28. economic blackout, he has seen signs that the economic resistance has made an impact.
He said Target’s stocks, online presence and foot traffic have all decreased.
“A moment has turned into a movement,” Pinto said. “Not only do we have power at the polls, but we have power with our pocketbooks, and we don’t have to wait until elections to make a difference.”
Rev. Daniel Bell, the affiliate campus minister of Boston College’s Episcopal community and Tufts University Protestant chaplain, said faith can be a “huge motivator” in social justice movements.
Bell said activism is “at the heart of the Biblical tradition,” referencing Isaiah 58:6, which he said describes how religious beliefs are expressed.
“It shouldn’t just be about assenting to certain beliefs about God or theological assertions,” Bell said. “It’s about how we live out our faith convictions [and] our values in real life ways.”
Kelly Fassett, executive director of Unite Boston, an organization that seeks to bridge gaps between Christian denominations, said faith is a critical aspect of movements. She pointed to the civil rights movement in the 1960s as an example of faith-based activism.
“Leaders were committed to act and change the world because of the injustice they saw,” Fassett said. “They were doing it because of their faith.”
Fassett said the root of DEI is “very Biblical,” and Christians should take action against the rolling back of such initiatives.
“Our money really exemplifies where our values are,” she said.
Unite Boston is spreading awareness of the boycott by releasing a newsletter Sunday to promote it, Fassett wrote in a statement to The Daily Free Press.
“We’re trying to work to get Christians to move in the same direction,” Fassett said. “So, if there’s efforts made locally to do that, we’re really eager to spread the word about that.”
Bell said many people in the U.S. associate Christianity with conservative values, making this Lenten fast an important statement from the Christian community.
“Seeing people, communities of color that are also communities of faith, coming together and … taking progressive stances, I think is very important in this day and age,” Bell said.
Lucia Loosbrock, a student at Northeastern University, said Target’s decision to scale back DEI initiatives is “upsetting” for both employees and customers.
“You never want to see that from a large corporation,” she said. “You want to see a company like this standing up to the [Trump] administration, and it’s not what they’re doing.”
Loosbrook said she was open to joining the boycott but admitted it would be challenging.
“It’s tough, because in a place like Boston, [Target] is something that’s so convenient to get to,” Loosbrock said.
Sophie Su, a senior at Boston University, said she would consider boycotting because there are alternative stores to shop at, such as Trader Joe’s and TJ Maxx.
She said there are not many actions — other than boycotting — that consumers can take to make an impact.
“What we can do is just boycotting them to spread our voices,” Su said.
Loosbrock said for the boycott to be successful, it needs widespread participation.
“The only way that they’re going to make a change is if people are standing up to the negative things that they’re doing,” she said. “It needs to be on a super large scale for a company this big to see.”
Likewise, Fassett said sustained efforts are necessary for the boycott to have a lasting impact.
“We need to really pay attention, because what’s happening is affecting the most vulnerable people in America,” she said. “If businesses continue to be impacted negatively by people boycotting them, I think they might really take a serious look at these initiatives.”
Looking ahead, Pinto said he hopes the boycott continues after Lent and all the way to Juneteenth.
“This moment is showing us more than ever that we have a lot of power. We just have to use it,” Pinto said. “Injustice is happening, and it is not okay to do nothing.”
