US EditionJamal Bryant Apologizes After Backlash Over Ending ‘Target Fast,’ Says He Misread the 'Room'
Rev. Jamal Bryant ended his year-long fast aimed at pushing Target to meet $2 billion Black business investment demands despite ongoing boycott leadership disputes.
- Last week, Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church , announced he was ending the year-long Target Fast amid online backlash over the church-led protest tied to Target's DEI commitments.
- On Feb. 1, 2025, Nekima Levy Armstrong called for a boycott, prompting demands for DEI commitments, a $2 billion pledge to Black businesses, and about 300,000 sign-ups for the fast.
- On his podcast this week, Bryant apologized and denied that he or his church received compensation from Target, rejecting speculation about a financial agreement.
- Organizers immediately responded that the boycott is not over, and Nekima Levy Armstrong joined a Nicollet Mall news conference to press demands and reiterate the boycott.
- Bryant's history of controversies shaped public skepticism, as observers noted boycotts like the Montgomery Bus Boycott end only by collective decision, not by a single leader.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Black America Web
Biblically Blasted Jamal Bryant Responds To Target Boycott Backlash, Apologizes For Being Out Of Touch—‘This Week I Failed’
Pastor Jamal Bryant is clarifying his recent decision to end the year-long “Target Fast” after backlash erupted online, with critics believing the broader boycott against the retailer had been called off. “I failed,” said the New Birth Missionary Baptist church leader, who took accountability for being out of touch and denied being paid by the corporation. Source: Paras Griffin / Getty According to theGrio, Bryant addressed the controversy durin…
The Rev. Jamal Bryant Problem: When Protest Turns Into Performance
Source: Leigh Vogel / Getty Last week’s debate over the Target boycott quickly turned into something bigger than a dispute about where people shop. When Rev. Jamal Bryant announced that the fast and boycott were over, thousands of Black consumers responded online that no single pastor had the authority to make that call. The backlash revealed a deeper tension inside Black political life. It revealed the tension between older traditions of churc…
Target Boycott Ends After Yearlong Campaign on Diversity and Economic Equity
A yearlong boycott of the retailer Target led by Black faith leaders officially ended March 11, with organizers saying the campaign succeeded in forcing a national conversation about corporate commitments to diversity and economic equity. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia; Tamika Mallory, co-founder of Until Freedom; and the Honorable Nina Turner, former Democratic senator from Ohio, brief…
Pastor Jamal Bryant Clarifies Target Fast Confusion
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Pastor Jamal Bryant recently addressed confusion surrounding the “Target Fast” and the larger boycott connected to it. His comments sparked debate across social media and among community leaders.The Atlanta pastor had earlier announced that his year long Target Fast was ending. Many people believed that meant the entire boycott against the retailer was over. Bryant later apologized and explained that was never his i…
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