Target Missed the Target: The Meeting with Al Sharpton Black Folks Say They Didn't Ask For
One of our most acclaimed Black civil rights activists met with the CEO to discuss DEI — yet many of the grassroots organizers leading the charge for change weren’t in the room.
When Target rolled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments earlier this year, the backlash was swift—and loud. Black organizers across the country, especially in Minneapolis, where Target is headquartered, launched a boycott in early February. By March 5, the start of Lent, Rev. Jamal Bryant of Atlanta had mobilized a 40-day economic protest under the banner of "Target Fast," amplifying the campaign nationwide. Since the boycott, Target has lost an estimated $12.4 to $15 billion in market value, according to multiple financial reports.
But instead of meeting with some of these leaders on the ground, Target recently opted for a closed-door meeting in New York with Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the country’s most recognizable civil rights activists. The move has set off a wave of criticism from organizers and everyday Black consumers alike, many of whom felt the company had gone over their heads—or even worse, tried to silence the conversation around the boycott.
“Let’s be clear,” Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong wrote on social media, “Al Sharpton never called for a boycott of Target. He didn’t organize our protests. We did.”
Rev. Sharpton described the meeting as “constructive and candid,” saying he would report back to the National Action Network (NAN) board and follow up with Rev. Bryant. But critics say the company’s decision to engage with Sharpton months after slashing their DEI efforts, and without involving those who sparked the boycott—is indicative of a larger issue: the erasure of local Black leadership in favor of national figures who can help control the narrative. And for many, the move comes not only too late—but with the wrong people at the table.
What Exactly Did Target Roll Back?
Target made a series of policy reversals in January 2025, including ending its three-year DEI goals early, withdrawing from external diversity benchmarking surveys, and reassessing corporate partnerships tied to DEI initiatives. The changes came after months of right-wing pressure against the company’s cultural inclusivity efforts, previous public commitments to equity following the murder of George Floyd, and their Pride Month merchandise.
While Target has defended its decisions as part of a strategic pivot, Black organizers say these moves signal a retreat from accountability—one that has disproportionately affected Black workers, vendors, and consumers.
“Corporations don’t get to use us when it’s convenient and ignore us when it’s not,” Rev. Jamal Bryant said back in March. “This boycott isn’t about optics. It’s about economic power and justice.”
The company’s recent history shows just how much was at stake. According to its 2022 workforce report, over 50% of Target’s new hires were people of color. Corporate leadership had become more diverse. DEI programs supported Black-owned suppliers, invested in communities, and projected a more inclusive brand identity.
Yet none of these gains were secured. With a single shift in strategy, those goals were scrapped—with no public recommitment. Well, until now maybe.
Black Folks Didn’t Ask For This
Social media went in—questioning the optics and intent behind the meeting. “Which one of y’all told Target Al Sharpton was the Black representative?” one user asked. Another commenter added: “Real power rises from the grassroots, not the greenroom.”
Morgan DeBaun, founder and CEO of Blavity, voiced her curiosity as well: “Really curious how Target and their ad agencies are going to climb their way out of this one,” she said on Instagram. “Also not sure who voted Al Sharpton as our representative...We need new leaders in our generation to get a seat at the table.”
For organizers like Nekima Levy Armstrong, the critique isn’t about Sharpton’s legacy—but how the decision, which she says undermines local activists, reflects who Target thinks has power over the Black community. “I don’t have confidence the meeting will change anything because Sharpton never called for a boycott to begin with,” she told the Star Tribune.
Rev. Jamal Bryant—whose New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in metro Atlanta helped launch the national boycott—has framed the protest as both a call for economic justice and a form of spiritual warfare.
“This is a fast for accountability. A fast for justice, he said recently. “A fast for a future where corporations do not bow to pressure at the expense of marginalized communities,” reads a message on targetfast.org. “Turn your dollars into data, power, and change.”
If Sharpton Isn’t the Voice of Our People—Then Who Is?
Sharpton has pledged to follow up and noted that the meeting “wasn’t a photo opp.” Meanwhile, Target has yet to issue a statement on whether they will reaffirm or pledge any new commitments to diversity.
But for many Black organizers, the damage is done. The trust gap has widened, and the boycott continues. Organizers are demanding a public recommitment to DEI goals, transparency in hiring and supplier diversity metrics, and real investment in the Black community.
And one thing they have made clear is that Rev. Al Sharpton—as pivotal as he may have been to Black progress—is not the current voice or leader of Black Americans.
Let’s be clear,” writer and director Rahiem Shabazz said on Twitter. “He didn’t start the boycott against Target, and no one appointed him as the voice of our people. We must remain vigilant about who the media elevates as ‘Black leadership.’ Stay woke. Power to the people.”
13 & South is a new publication covering news, investigative stories, and insights on social justice, policy, and systemic inequities impacting Southern Black communities. I value your insights, and feedback and invite your perspectives to contribute to future issues. Please feel free to contact me here or follow me on my socials! LinkedIn, Twitter, IG, BlueSky, and Threads.
I am a member of the NAN and I support Al Sharpton, however I feel that the larger organizations have the duty to support smaller ones, to help them have louder voices, and more seats at the few available tables. The larger organizations should never step in for a smaller one unless such is requested. We need unity, not division. Unity does not mean that we are all parroting exactly the same thing. There is strength in pursuing what are common goals from multiple directions.
Thank you for the boycott of Target. Please keep up the great work. We all need it.
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