Radical left-wing activists stood in front of retail giant Target’s headquarters in Minneapolis and proclaimed that their boycott of the store over reversed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies would continue despite the company’s claim that they were “moving forward.” The boycott started in January 2025 as a response to Target announcing the rollback of DEI measures.
Critics slammed Target for the rollback and protest efforts gained traction during Operation Metro Surge, with a number of liberal activists stating that federal immigration agents were using store parking lots to stage operations that were carried out to take illegal aliens inside stores into custody. The boycott and subsequent protests outside Target headquarters are an attempt to increase pressure on the company to oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as new CEO Mike Fiddelke takes his office.
Nekima Armstrong, an activist, civil rights attorney, and “minister,” issued a very firm correction to recent claims that the Target boycott was coming to an end. Rev. Jamal Bryant, an Atlanta-based pastor, held a press conference in which he praised Target in D.C. “The Target boycott continues,” Armstrong went on to say.
According to a report from Fox 9, Armstrong also said, “From the beginning, we said the Target boycott would be indefinite, unless and until Target took the steps to address the fact that they rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion in order to capitulate to the Trump administration.” She then added that many individuals felt “betrayed” by Target after believing that it was a “hometown company that invested in our community.”
Armstrong then stated that Bryant isn’t the one leading the boycott and does not speak for the whole movement, going on to add that Target “went around” the true leaders of the effort. During Rev. Bryant’s news conference, he claimed “victory” after stating that Target had reinvested in black communities. He then praised the retailer for “robust” contributions to black-owned companies and scholarships.
Target issued a statement in response to the comments, saying, “Target is more committed than ever to creating growth and opportunity for all. We’re pleased to be moving forward, and we will continue showing up as trusted neighbors while delivering results for our team members, guests, and the more than 2,000 communities in which we serve. Because when those communities thrive, so do we.”
Quarterly reports from Target show that the retailer has been experiencing a dip in sales over the last year and a half. However, a new report shows a “solid annual profit outlook,” which might be due to an announcement from the company that many items will be reduced in price just in time for spring and summer.
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Conservatives both inside and outside of the Trump administration have been pushing companies to ditch DEI policies, which they feel has resulted in hiring practices based on an individual’s race or gender, rather than on who is most qualified to occupy a certain position. Many companies have taken the plunge along with Target, once again championing a system based on merit rather than trying to meet DEI hire quotas.
Featured Image: screenshots from embedded video