Latest news with #NekimaLevyArmstrong
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Target donated $300,000 to a Black church group. Why boycott activists want it returned.
Target has donated $300,000 to the National Baptist Convention and two separate leaders of boycotts against the retailer are calling for the church organization to return the gift. 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@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ 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 Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
03-07-2025
- CBS News
Ahead of holiday weekend, Minneapolis community members plead for an end to violence
Community leaders filled the main atrium of the Hennepin County Government Center Thursday with a simple message: the violence needs to stop. Since the start of June, they point to the murder of a young mother at Boom Island Park, the killing of an 11-year-old boy in broad daylight, and the additional killings of two young women in the last two weeks. So far, arrests have only been made in one of the cases. A criminal complaint says a man is facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the Boom Island Park shooting. "This level of violence cannot, should not, and will not be tolerated within our community," said activist and community organizer Nekima Levy-Armstrong. "We don't want to see these murders continuing to happen. We also don't want to see when murders happen that they are unsolved." During a press conference Thursday, community leaders and advocates urged for offenders to put the guns down, for parents to keep their kids safe and for lawmakers and prosecutors to get serious about punishing offenders. "Every week, we see one of young people get murdered. We have to address the root," said Chauntyll Allen of Black Lives Matter Minnesota. "I'm challenging the community. Use your energy to deescalate situations. Use some of your energy to stop and deal with the pain you're dealing with and a way we can move forward as a community." Leaders urged, especially ahead of a holiday weekend to take a different approach. "These are real life people – and we've got to begin to center humanity in our communities," said Satara Strong-Allen with non-profit Love First. "If we could just sit down and center humanity, listen to each other and solve our issues, we don't have to respond with violence."
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Target donated $300,000 to a Black church group. Why boycott activists want it returned.
Target has donated $300,000 to the National Baptist Convention and two separate leaders of boycotts against the retailer are calling for the church organization to return the gift. 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 Black 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 Black 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." Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Target announces July Circle Week promotions as boycotts persist
Target announces July Circle Week promotions as boycotts persist originally appeared on Bring Me The News. For the second time this year, Target is running its Circle Week promotion. The deals run from July 6 to 12, offering discounts on some of the retailer's most popular items. Select products will be discounted up to 50% off, including back-to-school items. As usual, members of the paid Target Circle 360 program get early access to the deals, with the sales becoming available on July 5. Teachers and students can get 50% off a one-year membership. Each day of the promotional week comes with a deal of the day promotion, featuring a steeper discount. This go-round, there will be three items marked down for the deal of the day on each of the seven days. Additionally, Target gift cards will be 10% off throughout the week. A preview of the discounts — 40% off tech and gaming items, 30% off select backpacks, BOGO deals on grocery items — can be found on the company's website. As was the case when the company's first Target Circle Week promotion of the year took place, the campaign lands amid a boycott. While the protests aren't as loud as they were earlier in the year – in the immediate aftermath of Target ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs – the boycott persists. On Tuesday, Nekima Levy Armstrong wrote an op-ed in the Star Tribune, noting that the company continues to face challenges around tariffs, inflation and other consumer changes. However, Target has failed to address concerns about the shuttering of those programs, despite the public outcry. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, Target launched DEI programs, touting them as a company value and commitment, before doing away with them just days after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term. However, Target says that it had planned to end its programs at this time, and its actions were not a response to Trump's crusade against DEI programs. "Target has not only lost the trust of the Black community. They've also alienated a wide swath of progressive consumers — many of them women — who feel betrayed, disgusted and done," Armstrong writes. "DEI isn't a marketing campaign." Target's sales fell almost 3% in the quarter that took place from February to April, after DEI-related boycotts started, per the Star Tribune. Its stock price has fallen to where it was in 2019, erasing significant gains made during the story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Consumer boycotts continue: 31% are participating. See where and why
As consumer boycotts, which started earlier this year continue and expand, a new study is showing that nearly a third of consumers surveyed have participated in such an action. Consumers have been boycotting retailers and businesses for several reasons, including rollbacks by companies on their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and what some organizers have called corporate greed. A new study by Lending Tree surveyed more than 2,000 people and found that 31% have boycotted a business while 23% have supported a business specifically because it was the target of a boycott. Do consumer boycotts work? Boycotts can have mixed results. They have worked for the political right. Conservative activists have successfully rallied in recent years to force retailers and companies to rein in their DEI efforts by staging boycotts to hurt sales. In campaigns using hashtags and slogans like 'go woke go broke,' boycotts waged by conservative activists have taken aim at some of the nation's largest consumer names, including retail chain Target. Some have succeeded in slashing sales and forcing policy changes. Now Target and other companies find themselves under attack from the other side, facing calls for boycotts from DEI supporters angry over the rollbacks. Supporters point to Target citing its decision to end some diversity policies as a contributor to the sharp pullback in consumer spending at the retailer that occurred in the first quarter. What businesses are consumers boycotting? Target has been the subject of several boycotts, including one that started on Feb. 1 and was led by Minnesota activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, and a separate 40-day Target Fast, now called the Target Blackout, led by Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant and other members of the Black faith community. Bryant's group is now encouraging its supporters to permanently boycott Target. Target did not respond to requests for an updated comment on boycott efforts by USA TODAY's publication deadline, but it has previously provided USA TODAY with the following statement: "We are absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone – our team members, our guests and our supply partners. To do that, we're focusing on what we do best: providing the best retail experience for the more than 2,000 communities we're proud to serve." In late May, Bryant also called for an electronic protest of Dollar General, saying the retailer walked away from DEI efforts and has not invested in the Black community. In an interview with USA TODAY, Bryant said that protest effort continues and Dollar General declined to meet with him in a letter it sent in response to one he sent the retailer. Dollar General responded to an inquiry from USA TODAY by providing a copy of the letter it sent to Bryant. In the letter, Dollar General Executive Vice President and General Counsel Rhonda M. Taylor said the company believed Bryant's assertions about the company did not show the company that a meeting would be productive. Taylor went on to include information about Dollar General to "correct some of the misperceptions you have of the Company and our operations." Taylor included details of the retailer's charitable giving, including donating $500,000 to the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. The People's Union USA has also hosted several boycotts and economic blackouts, starting with a one-day economic blackout on Feb. 28. The group has since held several one-week boycotts of retailers and businesses such as Target, Walmart, Amazon and McDonalds. Organizer John Schwarz is also encouraging supporters in Instagram posts to boycott Fourth of July festivities, including parades and fireworks and instead stay home with friends or support local business. The group says it is also expanding its boycott of retailers to Home Depot, Starbucks and Amazon for the whole month of July. In an Instagram post, Schwarz criticized Amazon, saying its workers struggle while the company's sales helped pay for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to have a lavish wedding in Venice. Starbucks has worked against some employee efforts to unionize and Home Depot has quietly erased its DEI web page, Schwarz said. In statements to USA TODAY, spokespeople for all three businesses defended their companies. An Amazon spokesperson said the company remains committed to building a diverse and inclusive company. The company maintains a number of mechanisms to ensure its employees stay safe during high-temperature events. The company also said regular full-time operations employees earn an average hourly base wage of more than $22 per hour and average compensation of more than $29 per hour when including benefits. A Starbucks spokesperson told USA TODAY its hourly workers receive pay worth an average $30 per hour for those who work at least 20 hours per week. "At Starbucks, our success starts and ends with our partners (employees). We respect our partners right to choose, through a fair and democratic process, to be represented by a union or not to be represented by a union and will continue to work to make Starbucks the best job in retail," the company said. A Home Depot spokesperson shared a statement that said its business success has been driven in the last 45 years by its eight core values, "including respect for all people and taking care of our people. "We're proud to have a culture that welcomes everyone, and we believe it helps us achieve our business goals by supporting associates, building relationships and fostering innovation. As we continually refine our communications, we have been using 'WeAreTHD,' which we have long used to represent the welcoming culture that we've built here." Nearly a third of those surveyed have boycotted a business In the Lending Tree survey, consumers who said they'd boycotted a business cited a variety of reasons, including discrimination (43%), political donations or affiliations (41%) and religious messaging or practices (29%). Forty-five percent of consumers surveyed said they research a business's values or stance before purchasing at least sometimes. Gen Zers were the generation to do the most research, with 59% saying they do. Among respondents, 23%, said they specifically support a business because it was the target of a boycott. Of those, 31% said they were Republicans and 20% said they were Democrats. "An awful lot of people are boycotting companies for any number of reasons," Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst with Lending Tree, told USA TODAY. "One of the things I found most interesting in our data was that higher-income folks are among the more likely to boycott." Schulz was referring to 43% of six-figure earners saying they have boycotted a business. "That's a significant thing that speaks to a degree that people know the power they have," Schulz said. Organizers of the boycotts were pleased with the survey results. "This report confirms what we already know," Schwarz told USA TODAY. "People are waking up and paying attention. Almost a third of Americans have already boycotted a business, and nearly half are now researching company values before spending a dime. That tells me one thing, the power is shifting back to the people." Bryant was pleased with the survey results, but said he believes the numbers could be even higher. "It's amazing that people are engaged and plugged in and I would dare say it's probably higher than that as our community is more often than not seldom or rarely ever polled," Bryant told USA TODAY. "I take it all as a good sign and I think that the bank receipts speak even louder than the polling numbers." Target stock has plummeted since earlier this year. On Jan. 31, before the first boycott began on Feb. 1, shares closed at $137.91. It reached a low of $88.76 on April 8, a 35.6% drop. It has begun to go up again, but is still below its stock value earlier this year. On July 1, the stock closed at $103.88, a 24.6% drop from January. Target also slashed its annual forecast during its last earnings report on May 21, reporting a sharp fall in quarterly same-store sales as customers pulled back on purchases because of worries about inflation and the economy. Target also acknowledged that its performance was affected by the consumer boycotts. In-person foot traffic at Target has also been affected, according to which uses a panel of tens of millions of devices and employs machine learning to make estimations for in-store visits. Traffic dropped as much as 8.10% the week of Feb. 17 and has ebbed and flowed, sometimes increasing. Traffic remains in negative numbers, with in-store visits down 2.9% for the week of June 16, according to the latest information available. The in-store traffic at other retailers and large food chains varied, according to during that time period. Costco was up 2.0%, Walmart was up 0.1%, Best Buy was down 1.4%, McDonald's was down 0.3% and Starbucks was up 0.4%. Some boycotters return to businesses Among those surveyed, 48% of boycotters said they have eventually returned to a business after boycotting it. That number rises to 70% among those with children younger than 18. Schulz of Lending Tree said while 53% of men said they had returned to a business they previously boycotted, 41% of women said they did, with 59% saying they did not. "It shows that while women may be less likely to boycott, once they do, they're much more likely to never return," he said. Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
