Black church leader calls for Dollar General digital protest, Target fast successful
The Georgia pastor who led a 40-day boycott of Target is turning his attention to another major retailer: Dollar General.
Jamal-Harrison Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, announced a new electronic protest against the discount chain, saying it has abandoned DEI policies.
Bryant says Dollar General benefits from the spending power of Black and low-income shoppers but fails to reinvest in the communities it serves. He's calling on the company to recommit to fair hiring practices, supplier diversity and community investment.
The protest begins immediately. Here's what you need to know about the electronic protest against Dollar General.
While it's not a boycott, Bryant urges supporters to flood Dollar General with emails, phone calls and social media posts to push for change. There is no official end date, as Bryant wants this to be a continuous effort until change is made. Bryant says that too many rural shoppers rely on the discount chain for their fresh produce and other grocer needs.
According to Statista.com, Alabama has 975 Dollar General stores, the eighth-highest number in the country.
Montgomery: 18 locations
Birmingham: 7 locations
Tuscaloosa: 12 locations
Gadsden: 7 locations
Mobile: 17 locations
President Donald Trump's push to eliminate federal DEI programs has led major retailers and corporations to scale back their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
In response, consumers and activists have staged multiple economic blackouts since February.
The "Target Fast," which was supposed to last until the end of Lent, has now been extended to an indefinite blackout. Since February, other separate economic blackouts have taken place, with The People's Union targeting Walmart, Nestle, and General Mills.
Data collected shows that the blackout against Target has been successful. According to a USA Today report, on Jan. 31, the day before the boycott began, shares closed at $137.91. By April 8, they had dropped nearly 36% to $88.76.
Foot traffic has also dipped. According to data from Placer.ai, which tracks in-store visits using millions of mobile devices, visits were down in the weeks following the removal of DEI. In Alabama, visits were down over 2% in April.
On April 17, Target CEO Brian Cornell requested a meeting with Bryant and Rev. Al Sharpton. Cornell said Target plans to renew its $2 billion commitment to support Black-owned brands and businesses. Cornell says he intends to meet the goal by July 31, but no public announcement has been made, and says it expects to reach the goal by the end of the year.
Contributing: Betty Lin-Fisher
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Dollar General Alabama protest now: Pastor demands change in hiring, equity
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