Target donated $300,000 to a Black church group. Why boycott activists want it returned.
In separate comments, Nekima Levy Armstrong, a Minnesota activist who launched a Target boycott on Feb. 1 and Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant, who encouraged members of the Black faith community to boycott for 40 days and now permanently stay away from the retailer, have said the acceptance by the Black church organization works against their efforts.
Both boycotts are in response to what Levy Armstrong and Bryant say were efforts by Target to turn its back on the Black community when it rolled back its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
What was the $300,000 donation from Target?
A Target spokesman provided USA TODAY with a statement when asked about the donation: 'We're proud to be sponsoring NBCUSA's conference series as one of the many ways we invest to make a meaningful impact in communities across the country by supporting access to education, economic development initiatives and entrepreneurship programs."
The National Baptist Convention did not return an email and phone inquiry from USA TODAY seeking comment on the donation and the calls for its return.
However, in a press release provided to other media outlets, National Baptist Convention President Boise Kimber said the partnership is based on a 'shared commitment to community empowerment through small-business and entrepreneur development, investments in education and student support, and workforce and skill development that unlocks growth across our communities.'
Kimber said the donation will help the church organization 'provide scholarships, support senior citizens, and invest in entrepreneurship programs that uplift our people and the future.'
Black faith leader rejects donation, calls for its return
During a Sunday sermon at his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, on June 22, Bryant decried Target's donation to the National Baptist Convention.
He accused Target, whose CEO had met with Bryant and the Rev. Al Sharpton in April, of "going around" him to the National Baptist Convention.
"Are you crazy to think we're going to sell out for chump change?" Bryant said.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Bryant said Target's donation to the National Baptist Convention, which Bryant said is not affiliated with his church, was actually four donations of $75,000 to Black church organizations that the National Baptist Convention received and split.
"It's really a slap in the face and an insult," Bryant said of the donation and the National Baptist Convention accepting the money. Bryant has called for the money to be returned to Target.
Consumer boycotts continue: 31% are participating. See where and why
As part of his Target boycott, Bryant has made four demands, including honoring a $2 billion pledge to the Black business community that Target previously had in place, which entailed purchasing Black-owned products, services and investing in Black media. Bryant has also called for the retailer to invest in Black-owned banks, establish retail centers at historically Black college and universities and fully restore DEI initiatives.
"The black eye for us is that they (National Baptist Convention) walked away with nothing that we asked for," Bryant said.
Target previously released a statement on May 28 in response to Bryant's Target blackout and demands.
"Target is absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone – our team members, our guests and our supply partners,'' it read. "In the last five years, we have: committed to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses and brands within five years; supported students at over 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); invested $100 million to Black-led community organizations; given scholarships to over 30,000 members of our team to advance their careers; committed 5% of our profits to the communities we operate in; volunteered millions of hours to organizations across the country and created meaningful opportunities for our team members to thrive both personally and professionally."
Community organizer takes issue with donation and Bryant
In a separate open letter sent to the National Baptist Convention and shared with USA TODAY, Levy Armstrong, founder of the Racial Justice Network, urged the church group "to reconsider its alignment with a corporation that has caused such profound harm.
"This $300,000 payment does not heal – it deepens the wound. It appears to be a payout for silence and an attempt to regain Black consumer trust without accountability," the letter stated.
The letter was also signed by fellow organizers Monique Cullars-Doty, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota (Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota).
The letter also took issue with Bryant, saying he was aware of the Target boycott, which started on Feb. 1, and expressed interest in joining the effort. But then Bryant repackaged the work as his own, creating a separate campaign and erasing the women's work. The women said it was reflective of a long, painful history of Black women organizers being pushed aside.
Bryant told USA TODAY that he has honored Levy Armstrong and said from the start that he did not start the Target boycott."
"My focus was singularly to align with the Black churches as Black churches were not involved or engaged," he said. "I'd say everywhere from the rooftops that we were not the originators of it, but it was our intention to bring out the Black church alongside."
This story has been updated to fix a typo.
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Uproar erupts over Target's $300K donation to church group
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Eater
a few seconds ago
- Eater
D.C.'s Activist Hub Busboys and Poets, 20 Years In
is a James Beard Award-winning food and travel journalist, cookbook author, and Senior Editor at Eater. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Saveur, and others. In 2013, when I was 21 years old, I traveled with my Model African Union team from the University of Houston to Howard University in Washington, D.C. Trayvon Martin's murder the year before had a sweeping impact on me and my classmates — all of us ignited with a charge to have an expert-level understanding of our Black history, and the tools to make the world a better place once we graduated. We discussed these issues with our professor at Busboys and Poets, known as the intellectual hub of D.C.'s Black, immigrant, and progressive community. At the time, this was the spot to be in D.C., according to my professor, and to the coolest and most elite of the progressive 'Chocolate City.' Being in that space made us feel like we were Texas's coolest college students. The walls of vivid, colorful artwork enchanted us. Bookshelves filled with works from Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and Zora Neale Hurston grounded us. And the conversations we had over shrimp and chicken chorizo pasta (to this day, still my favorite thing on their menu) nourished us as we became more and more inspired about the lives that potentially lay ahead of us. Iraqi American immigrant Andy Shallal opened Busboys and Poets in 2005. Since then, the restaurant-bookstore-community space has led with progressive ideals first, and has been patronized by politicians, musicians, and college students; it's hosted the likes of Angela Davis, Harry Belafonte, Alice Walker, and Howard Zinn. But Busboys' tenure thus far hasn't gone without challenges: As a business centered around Black culture and activist ideals owned by a non-Black man, it's been the center of contention and has endured internal and external changes. But the mission and values of Busboys remain ever present, and thus far, its reputation within a conscientious group of diners continues. I recently spoke to Shallal about opening the business amid the United States invasion of Iraq, operating a space anchored by Black history as an Iraqi American, and the importance of combining food and activism in the restaurant space. The restaurant, internet cafe, and bar section of Busboys and Poets in 2005. Susan Biddle/The Washington Post via Getty Images The Busboys dining room today. Busboys and Poets Eater: Why open a restaurant that's also a bookstore and a place for community engagement? Andy Shallal: I always imagined a place like this, and I wanted to create a place that I didn't find elsewhere in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Restaurants in particular and gathering places like this are perfect for the type of conversations that we need as a society to bring people together. People ask us this a lot, so I wrote about my experience of being in the country in my memoir, A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets. It talks about my upbringing in this country, the way that I was exposed to politics, to race, to different parts of the restaurant business, and the decision to bring all of those elements into one place. This is clearly a space rooted in African American ideals, activism, and intellectualism. Was there any particular part of your upbringing or childhood that made you particularly invested in the Black American experience? It was more about how race plays out in every part of life in this country, and I experienced that because of the way I looked: different. I wasn't white; I was mistaken for Black many times in many spaces. I started to understand — I was almost like a fly on the wall, hearing what the other side says about the other side — and started to understand this race issue. We sometimes say it's just a social construct, but it has huge ramifications on someone's upbringing, and where they live, who they date, whether or not they get in trouble with the police, how much income they make, their health. Everything is really focused around this social construct that we call 'race.' I was trying to understand it. How is it possible that something so constructed has so much impact on one's life and outcomes? It's always been at the forefront of my social and political interactions because of my experiences coming to this country as a child and experiencing race firsthand: Being called the n-word when I didn't know what that meant; being called terms attributed to light-skinned Black people, when I didn't know what that meant; being, for a time, uncomfortable to associate with any particular group at the cafeteria, because I didn't fit in with anyone. It was difficult, managing and navigating the racial undertones of this country, and I wanted to create a place for people to come into and be able to interact with one another without feeling uncomfortable. Can you tell me about the earliest days of Busboys and Poets? What was going on in D.C.? It was shortly after 9/11. Being an Arab and a Muslim, I felt very much like an outsider, and I really wanted to find my tribe. So I started thinking of creating a place that is welcoming to people who, historically, have been unwelcome in these types of places. And I started searching for a space in D.C. I wanted it to be in an iconic location: The U Street Corridor, at one point called Black Broadway, was ideal. I found the place and decided to just go from there. I tried to create a place that would become a hub for activists, for people who believe a better world is possible, for people who feel that being marginalized and being a country that's always going to war is not necessarily the way to go. I wanted to bring in the dreamers, the people who believe in a better world. I created it with a bookstore at the front; a lounge for people to interact and hang with people, a space in the back for poetry, author talks, and panel discussions; murals and artwork that represent the various types of people that make up our country, and the values we hold. At that time, the Iraq War was in full force. When we were opening, it just happened that one of the largest anti-war marches was taking place here in D.C. I've been an activist most of my life, and so I was fairly known in the peace movement in this arena. We had the peace and justice movement basically hanging out here days before and after the march. And people responded positively. The Busboys and Poets menu circa 2011. The favorite shrimp and chicken chorizo pasta was $16 then — it's still on the menu at $25 now. Pizza is no longer available, replaced with a section on the current menu of vegan bowls. Busboys and Poets isn't a traditional restaurant. What makes this space so distinct? There's no minimum expense to be here; you don't have to spend any money. You can hang out, drink water and enjoy some of the programming we have; 90 percent of it is free of charge. People come in and listen to amazing authors and talks just by showing up. I wanted to make sure the food was really good, because if you don't have really good food, people are going to eat before they get here. It's open to the public, and it's open all the time. From the beginning, I wanted to make sure that the food was accessible to as many people as possible. We have a handful of meat options, but a lot of our food is vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based. We opened in 2005 with vegan options; we were one of the first places that offered vegan and vegetarian food options in the city. There's a full range, not only of choices of food, but choices of prices. What was getting investment like to open the space? When I first was getting ready to open this place, I went to different banks looking for a loan, and many turned me down: Bookstores didn't make money. Coffee shops didn't really make that much money. Panel discussions of anti-war activism weren't going to make money. None of these things, in their mind, seem to make money. But bring them all together, and the synergy that creates is what I was looking for. Intuitively, I knew that would work. Finally, Industrial Bank agreed and went ahead and gave me the loan that I needed to get started. So, you opened the flagship location on 14th and V Streets, NW, which also happens to be the first location I visited when I was a college student. What does Busboys look like now? Once I got started and people saw how the business was, those banks that turned me down before were knocking on my door, telling me that they wanted to lend me money. So it's funny how that works. I was approached by developers and other people who said, 'Oh, you should open a place in my neighborhood. You should open the place here.' Slowly but surely, we started opening several places – we're up to eight so far. We have eight locations now in the D.C. area — two in Maryland and one in Virginia. But I didn't start with the intention of opening more places. Around 2008, the Washington City Paper used to do a Reader's Choice [award], and they asked the readers what would be their favorite place to take an out-of-towner. They ranked Busboys and Poets over the National Mall, which I thought was fascinating. That was a really big moment, where people really did see us as a place that represented D.C. The Busboys datebook from the week of September 4, 2006, when the restaurant celebrated its first anniversary. Busboys and Poets You're running a restaurant vocally rooted in activism during this current administration, just blocks away from the White House. How have you and your team grappled with the current and previous challenges at the restaurant? We've gone through many different iterations and issues that we've had to face, not the least of which was, of course, COVID. With the first Trump administration and the changes in the energy of the city, this was also very challenging. It's the people's business. It's a service. During the second Trump administration, we have become that much more important for people. The fact that there is a space that is safe, that people come to and retreat from the insanity that's around us, I think, is really one of our strengths. Dealing with issues of Palestine, dealing with issues of what's happening with this administration, and the DEI debacle that's taking place, dealing with all of the anti-immigration sentiment, eliminating taxes on tipped wages, and so on: policy and other issues not only happening here locally, but also nationally. So I am aware that you know, as you grow bigger, your responsibilities get more serious, and we are getting bigger. What do you see for the future of Busboys and Poets? I really want to be at the forefront of progressive ideas and progressive policies. So, whether it's making sure that immigrants are safe, making sure we source our food well, use green energy, and so on. I want us to be able to continue to do the work that we do. I think all of these things are important. Speaking up on international issues is important. We have a voice, we have a platform, and I want to make sure that it's used judiciously in a way that's going to really make the world a better place. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
New York Post
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Pro-Trump group says Cracker Barrel's DEI programs violate federal, state civil rights laws
Conservative pro-Trump law group America First Legal (AFL) filed complaints Monday with the Tennessee Attorney General and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC), alleging Cracker Barrel is maintaining discriminatory employment practices stemming from its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. The complaints point to public documents, internal reports, and Cracker Barrel's own language to allege the company maintains illegal DEI frameworks, such as race- and gender-conscious hiring, leadership and promotion pipelines, which provide benefits to employees on the basis of protected characteristics. AFL also slammed Cracker Barrel for rebranding its dedicated DEI website to 'Culture and Belonging,' arguing that the name change did not halt Cracker Barrel from using 'diversity' as a proxy for race or sex. Advertisement 'Americans are fed up with major American corporations serving up DEI as if it is entirely okay,' said AFL legal counsel, Will Scolinos. 'Treating people differently because of the color of their skin or their sex is not only wrong, it is illegal. AFL has fought DEI since the Biden Administration spent four years celebrating and encouraging its wholesale implementation across the country. Now, companies are retreating from the term 'DEI' but retaining their discriminatory policies. Cracker Barrel and other American corporations must take discrimination by any name off the menu once and for all.' 4 The complaints point to public documents, internal reports, and Cracker Barrel's own language to allege the company maintains illegal DEI frameworks. Christopher Sadowski AFL's complaint points to Cracker Barrel's Business Resource Groups (BRGs) as one example of alleged discrimination, outlined in public Securities and Exchange Commission documents, Cracker Barrel's website and other places. According to AFL, these groups offer employment benefits only available to employees belonging to certain races or sexes. Advertisement The 'Be Bold' BRG helps 'cultivate and develop Black Leaders within the Cracker Barrel organization utilizing allyship, mentorship, and education to create a path to continued excellence,' Cracker Barrel's website states. Meanwhile, the HOLA BRG 'promote[s] Hispanic and Latino culture through hiring, developing, and retaining talent within Cracker Barrel.' Other BRGs revolve around LGBT folks, 'neurodiversity,' and women's issues, among others. 4 According to AFL, these groups offer employment benefits only available to employees belonging to certain races or sexes. AP Another part of Cracker Barrel's alleged promotion of discriminatory DEI practices cited by AFL includes the company's focus on 'attract[ing], develop[ing] and retain[ing] high performing talent with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives,' which is laid out on Cracker Barrel's 'Culture, Belonging and Inclusion' website underneath the heading 'STRATEGY TURNS INTO ACTION.' This focus on promoting and hiring based on 'diverse' characteristics can be seen in action via Cracker Barrel's categorization in internal company reports of board members as 'Diverse' or 'Not-Diverse,' AFL points out. Advertisement Per a public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Cracker Barrel notes that when 'evaluating potential candidates for Board membership' the nominating committee 'considers, among other things … diversity of age, gender, race, and ethnic background.' 4 This focus on promoting and hiring based on 'diverse' characteristics can be seen in action via Cracker Barrel's categorization in internal company reports. Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images Cracker Barrel also proudly touts its Diverse Employee Leadership Talent Advancement (DELTA) program in public filings, which the company describes as an effort meant to identify 'diverse managers who have exhibited all the skills we value in our top-performing managers' and position them 'to advance to their next role.' 'Our new, robust diversity training includes education throughout all levels of the Company about unconscious and implicit bias and focuses on creating an inclusive culture and fostering a sense of belonging for all,' a Securities and Exchange Commission filing discussing the DELTA program also adds. Advertisement AFL argues that, in practice, these policies from Cracker Barrel appear to have achieved their intended effect, with the company's representation of women and ethnic minorities among Cracker Barrel professional staff, store level management and hourly workers, having each increased by at least 3% since fiscal year 2022. AFL said only women hourly staff remained constant across the same period, though Cracker Barrel touts in its Securities and Exchange Commission filings that 70% of its employee population is female. 4 Cracker Barrel also proudly touts its Diverse Employee Leadership Talent Advancement (DELTA) program in public filings. AP 'Cracker Barrel's policies openly discriminate against heterosexual, white, and male employees in favor of diverse employees,' AFL's complaint, which asserts the policies violate Tennessee's Human Rights Act and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, argues. 'Discrimination advocates — under the guise of 'diversity' and 'equity' — have for years claimed that straight white men must be treated differently than diverse individuals by holding them to a higher evidentiary standard; however, the Supreme Court has directly addressed this claim, holding that 'Title VII does not impose such a heightened standard on majority-group plaintiffs,'' the complaint continues. 'Decades of case law hold that — no matter how well-intentioned — policies that seek to impose racial balancing are prohibited by Title VII.' Through its complaint, AFL is calling for Cracker Barrel and the EEOC to launch investigations into the matter, including a review of internal communications and a probe into whether the company used contractors with 'reckless disregard' to circumvent civil rights laws. AFL is also requesting the Tennessee Attorney General and EEOC enforce state and federal laws that would compel the company to halt its allegedly discriminatory DEI practices. Cracker Barrel did not respond to repeated requests for comment in time for publication.
Newsweek
32 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Cracker Barrel Faces DEI Probe After Pro-Trump Law Group Complaint
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Cracker Barrel has been targeted by a law firm seeking to defend President Donald Trump's policies amid allegations that the restaurant's diversity drives are "discriminatory." America First Legal (AFL) has called for an official probe into the Southern restaurant chain "for potential violations of federal and state civil rights laws stemming from its discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies." Some of Cracker Barrel's initiatives to develop employees are focused specifically on supporting workers who are women, Black, LGBTQ+, or Latino, according to AFL. This means they "appear to offer employment benefits that are only available based on an employees' race or sex," the Washington D.C.-based law group said in a press release on Monday. The firm has formally requested that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti investigate Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. for alleged violations. Newsweek reached out to Cracker Barrel via email for comment outside of regular working hours. A Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant in Naperville, Illinois, as seen on April 12, 2002. A Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant in Naperville, Illinois, as seen on April 12, 2002. Tim Boyle/Getty Image Why It Matters The case comes amid a wider cultural debate about inclusion and diversity practices. Trump has been highly critical of DEI policies. Since his return to office earlier this year, federal agencies have rolled back the initiatives across military and government platforms and attempted to scrap them in schools and universities. Claims that DEI in general is discriminatory have been subject to pushback in the spheres of education, politics, and business. Most U.S. business leaders think dropping DEI is a bad idea, according to a national survey, whose findings were reported by Forbes earlier this month. Some 77 percent of executives believe that DEI initiatives are positively correlated with improved financial performance, while 81 percent said that DEI policies have bolstered customer loyalty. What To Know America First Legal describes itself on its website as a "nonprofit law firm founded to unapologetically and boldly defend the rights of everyday Americans." The organization, which has been described as pro-Trump by the press and whose name pays homage to the "America First" movement, stated: "We are at the forefront of the battle for our nation." In a press release issued by AFL law firm on Monday, AFL Senior Counsel Nicholas Barry called Cracker Barrel "almost as American as apple pie," but said it may also be "discriminating against its employees," which, they say, must not go unchallenged under civil rights laws. The dining chain, founded in Tennessee in 1969, has nearly 660 restaurants across 44 states, serving around 230 million guests each year, according to Cracker Barrel's website. The press release said the law firm "has formally requested that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti investigate Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Cracker Barrel) for potential violations of federal and state civil rights laws stemming from its discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies." The law group claims the restaurant "rebranded its dedicated DEI website last year from 'Diversity and Inclusion' to 'Culture and Inclusion,' yet continues to promote the company's apparently unlawful commitments to provide unique employment benefits to certain races and sexes." It says that Cracker Barrel "promises to 'attract, select, develop, and retain high-performing talent with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.'" Specifically, AFL referenced the chain's Business Resource Groups (BRG), claiming its Be Bold BRG aims to "cultivate and develop Black Leaders," while its HOLA BRG is designed to "promote Hispanic and Latino culture through hiring, developing, and retaining talent." Its LGBTQ+ Alliance BRG aims to foster awareness and support within that community, and its Women's Connect BRG is focused on "empowering, educating and engaging" female members of staff to help them "grow their careers." "Even if any employee may technically join a BRG, certain associated benefits appear to be restricted to specific identity groups," AFL alleges. What People Are Saying America First Legal Senior Counsel Nicholas Barry, in a press release: "Cracker Barrel is almost as American as apple pie. Their store is full of classic Americana items, and it brands itself as a bastion of southern hospitality. If Cracker Barrel is discriminating against its employees and trying to hide it, it is failing to live up to its own brand and internal standards. The government should vigorously enforce its civil rights laws and ensure any such discrimination is rooted out and destroyed." America First Legal Counsel Will Scolinos, in a press release: "Americans are fed up with major American corporations serving up DEI as if it is entirely okay. Treating people differently because of the color of their skin or their sex is not only wrong, it is illegal. AFL has fought DEI since the Biden Administration spent four years celebrating and encouraging its wholesale implementation across the country. Now, companies are retreating from the term 'DEI' but retaining their discriminatory policies. Cracker Barrel and other American corporations must take discrimination by any name off the menu once and for all." Elise Smith, the CEO and co-founder of the tech startup Praxis Labs, told Time magazine in February: "Regardless of what you think about the term DEI, this work will continue, because fundamentally it does drive better business outcomes. Fortune 500 companies are trying to figure out: How do we serve our clients and customers, knowing that there's a ton of diversity within them? How do we bring our teams together to do their best work?" Jennifer McCollum, president and CEO of nonprofit gender-equity organization Catalyst, told Forbes this month: "Inclusion has never been a liability — it's a competitive advantage and a business imperative." She added that "organizations committed to the principles of opportunity and fairness behind DEI will be the ones that outperform their peers, retain talent, and build lasting trust." What Happens Next The legal process is now underway after America First Legal filed its complaints with the Tennessee attorney general and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday. Cracker Barrel has yet to respond publicly as the case shapes up to be another battle in the wider war against DEI.
