From the Montgomery Bus Boycott to today’s Target Fast, Black-led economic protest has long been a tool for challenging inequality—but the current political environment is testing the resolve of old boycott strategies.
On December 5, 1955, just after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed more than 5,000 people at Holt Street Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
Dr. King told the crowd that it was their Christian right to engage in peaceful disobedience to end segregation permanently.
He framed protest as both a constitutional right and a moral obligation. “This is the glory of our democracy. If we were incarcerated behind the iron curtains of a communist nation, we couldn’t do this. If we were dropped in the dungeon of a totalitarian regime, we couldn’t do this,” King preached. After 381 days of boycotting and legal court battles, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling in Browder v. Gayle (1956), declaring segregated buses unconstitutional.
The Montgomery Boycott was successful because it relied on a coordinated local community engagement, centralized leadership through the Black church, and strong democratic institutions—conditions that are far less present today. Black political leaders also leveraged their power and influence to accelerate the movement.
Today’s political landscape in the U.S. differs from that of the 1950s. Some activists argue that the United States is no longer a democracy but resembles an authoritarian regime, which is different than the political environment in which Dr. King launched his boycott. The U.S. Judicial System is constrained due to threats from the Trump Administration. Congress has lost its power to defend the Constitution. Beyond making statements and holding press conferences, Black political leadership has not leveraged its influence to shut down the anti-DEI movement.
In an interview, Rev. Jamal Bryant, Senior Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, discusses the role of the black church and its efforts in sustaining large-scale social movements.
The Role of the Black Church
Unlike the 1960s, Rev. Jamal Bryant stated that the Black church today has largely played a peripheral role in advancing social justice issues afflicting the community. “The black church has got to find itself back into the center of culture,” Bryant argued.
He noted that nearly 28% of Black Americans do not attend church, while roughly 8% are atheists. This has weakened the church’s influence in the Black community. Bryant went to explain that because the Black church largely remained silent on the Black Lives Matter Movement, it lost credibility among the young generation. This shift has reduced the church’s ability to coordinate, lead, and sustain large-scale social movements.
The State of Target Fast
For decades, Target was seen as a corporate ally, sponsoring Black cultural events and supporting Black-owned businesses through its diversity supplier program. When Target announced the rollback of its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on January 24, 2025, it triggered backlash among Black consumers.
Civil rights activists in Minnesota, Kiara Imani Williams and Nekima Levy Armstrong, launched a national boycott against Target. Rev. Bryant followed up with his support by pushing forward a 40 Day Target Fast, but when Target refused to meet their demands, he extended the boycott.
The Montgomery boycott was successful because it disrupted a public transportation system that people depended on daily. The Target Fast, by contrast, asks Black consumers to redirect their spending power to support Black-owned businesses. On March 7, 2025, the US Black Chamber of Commerce launched its ByBlack online platform to empower consumers to shop directly with Black-owned businesses and support the Target Fast.
“The Target Fast is the largest and longest boycott for Black people in 70 years, since the Montgomery bus boycott. It has been [virtually effective]. There’s no movement in the history of the world where there’s 100% participation. So, I’m grateful for those who are in lockstep and are making a difference,” Rev. Bryant emphasized.
Target lost roughly $12.5 million in market value in early 2025 during the boycotts. Target’s CEO Brian Cornell stepped down as a result of slumping sales and backlash from consumers over its rollback of DEI policies. Other factors have also contributed to business losses, including tariffs, inflation, and competition from other firms such as Walmart and TJ. Maxx.
Boycotting Corporate America
Unlike the boycotts of the 1960s, today’s boycotts target global multinational corporations with multiple subsidiary businesses and global supply chains, diluting social pressure. According to the Target Corporation 2024 Annual Report, its retail sales and 2000 stores are largely domestic, with supply chains in Central America and Asia.
Despite the boycotts and business losses, Target has not restored its DEI programs. Conservative groups have gone on an anti-DEI crusade, targeting over 45 companies with over $10 billion in sales that violate executive orders.
Target has tried to withstand social boycotts and economic uncertainty by implementing new business practices and installing new leadership. Target expects to open 30 new stores in 2026 to attract and retain customers, but the road to business recovery from 2025 could take a year.
Rev. Bryant recognized that the Target Boycott could take time to resolve, but remained encouraged by his upcoming meeting with Target executives. Rev. Bryant is also coordinating efforts with the NAACP, National Action Network, the National Council of Negro Women, and the Urban League.
Mixed Messages from the Black Community
In June 2025, the National Baptist Convention USA’s, accepted a $300,000 donation from Target Corporation for scholarships and community programs. Rev. Jamal Bryant recognized that not all Black Americans are going to agree on one political issue. “The Baptist convention split when Dr. King was leading the March on Washington because they didn’t think that he should do it. My prayers are that this generation will be able to see greater unity than previous generations.”
Black political leadership has not been able to consolidate its political power and influence to pressure Corporate America to support DEI policies. The Black political class represents 67 Black Congressional lawmakers, a Black governor, 640 Black mayors nationwide, and thousands serving in state and local offices. Civil rights leaders of the 1950s did not have the same degree of Black political power as today, but were able to change legislation.
Some Black celebrities have dismissed the impact of DEI on Black America, hindering the movement and raising concerns in the era of social media. “A lot of them early on [were] not civically minded, involved, or engaged. Once we called them out on it, we have seen a tremendous drop off from celebrities and influencers who have been promoting Target because we’ve been able to expand our reach and amplify our voice,” Rev. Bryant said.
Jesse Jackson’s Civil Rights Legacy and the Black Agenda
Rev. Jamal Bryant outlined a global and intergenerational approach to civil rights, emphasizing voter engagement and issue-focused organizing. “Our civil rights organizations are graying at the same rate as Black churches,” Rev. Bryant highlighted. He urged activists to reflect on Jackson’s lifetime of activism, voter mobilization strategies, and to adopt a global awareness and deep commitment to the cause.
“The movement needs leaders who treat activism as a lifelong calling, not a temporary pursuit,” he stressed. Hence, the Target Fast is not just about the fight to preserve DEI policies, but to protect the civil rights and economic infrastructure of Black America.
For the midterms, Rev. Jamal Bryant argued that economic development, universal health care, and education should be top of the Black political agenda. Rev. Bryant urged Black America not to grow weary of the news headlines but pick an issue and organize. “The Black Panther Party says we’re not outnumbered; we’re out-organized. So, we have to really organize beyond the election of the midterms, but even look around to 2028 to make sure that our issues are safeguarded for the future,” Rev. Bryant warned.