Black church leaders continue to pressure American corporations to main their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies amid rollbacks of initiatives across the U.S.
"Diversity, equity, and inclusion is not charity. It's not a handout, and the African American community is a valuable partner," Jamal Bryant, a Georgia-based pastor who boycotted Target after it scrapped its DEI initiatives and is planning a boycott of Dollar General, told Politico. "So we want to know: If you can take our dollars, how come you won't stand with us?"
The Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights and social justice activist, said one of the challenges with a boycott is reminding congregants they are still going on.
"You have to keep people's attention," said Sharpton. "You've got to make sure people don't forget, 'I'm not supposed to be shopping at that store.' Keeping public attention is a challenge."
President Donald Trump signed an executive order eliminating DEI practices in the federal workforce. Meta and Google are among the companies that have rolled back their programs.
In a statement, Dollar General said its mission is "serving others," noting that it serves millions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life.
"As we have since our founding, we continuously evolve our programs in support of the long-term interests of all stakeholders," the company said.
Target CEO Brian Cornell said in May the company saw quarterly sales decrease by 2.8% since the boycott began.
A Target spokesperson told Politico it is "absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone — our team members, our guests and our supply partners."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.