Rainbow PUSH accuses Target of backing away from commitment to Black community

CHICAGO (WGN) — Religious leaders with Rainbow PUSH protested outside a downtown Target store on Thursday, saying that corporate executives reneged on commitments to the Black community, which company spokespeople deny.

Black leaders also demanded more hiring and advancement opportunities. For Rev. Jamal Bryant of Atlanta, Georgia, it’s a lingering question about fairness.

“African Americans spend in the orbit of $12 million a day in Target stores around the country. So to just walk away from our community, we really felt betrayed,” Bryant said.

Leading Thursday’s protest on State Street in the city’s Loop, Bryant, along with Rev. Jessie Jackson and members of his Rainbow Coalition, asked Target why the retailer seemingly had a change of heart.

“Under no pressure and no response to any protest, they offered themselves a $2 billion commitment to the Black community and Black entrepreneurs, and then after the inauguration of Donald Trump, walked away from it,” Bryant said.

Organizers are pointing to glaring disparities, such as the presence of 26 Target stores on college campuses across the country, they say. But none of them are at Historically Black Colleges and Universities — HBCUs for short. 

“We’ve asked them to partner with six HBCUs’ business programs,” Bryant said. “They’ve not responded to that.”

But in a written statement to WGN-TV, Target spokespersons said:

We have committed to invest $2 billion in Black owned businesses and brands, supported students at over 20 Historically Black Colleges in Universities, invested 100 million to Black lead community organizations and given scholarships to over 30,000 members of our team to advance their career.”

Statement from Target

Yet, Yusef Jackson, with his father Jesse Jackson, and other community leaders say they need to see action.

“Your word ought to mean nothing,” Yusef Jackson said. “You can’t expect us to have foot traffic in a store and not be able to sit at the table with you to make decisions.”

Last month, Target announced that sales fell more than expected in the first quarter, and the retailer warned they will slip for all of 2025 year as its customers, worried over the impact of tariffs and the economy, pull back on spending.

The retailer also acknowledged that customer boycotts did some damage during the latest quarter.

Rainbow PUSH is holding its annual “People‘s Conference” this week.