Pastor Jamal Bryant Criticizes National Baptist Convention for Accepting Target's $300,000 Donation

Pastor Bryant's Condemnation of Target's Donation

• 🗣️ Pastor Jamal Bryant publicly criticized the National Baptist Convention (NBC) for accepting a $300,000 donation from Target.
• 🎯 Bryant initiated a 40-day boycott against Target for withdrawing its commitment to invest $2 billion in Black businesses after the backlash against DEI initiatives.
• 💰 He accused the retail giant of bypassing him and his boycott efforts to appease the denomination and win back Black consumers.

Target's Actions and Black Consumer Spending

• 📈 Black consumers reportedly spend $12 million per day at Target, highlighting significant economic power.
• 📍 Target, headquartered in Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed, had committed to investing $2 billion in Black businesses by December 2025, a commitment later withdrawn.
• 🎓 Bryant noted Target's presence on 27 college campuses, none of which are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), despite being a top employer of Black people.
• 📉 Target's stock value has decreased by $13 per share, and its valuation has lost $2 billion since the boycott began, indicating the impact of economic withdrawal.

Denominations Accused of "Selling Out"

• 🤝 The $300,000 donation was reportedly split among multiple Baptist organizations, with some receiving as little as $75,000.
• 💸 Critics, including Roland Martin, labeled the donation as "crumbs" compared to Target's multi-billion dollar profits and the Black community's spending power.
• ✊ Bryant emphasized that true leadership would reject such money and instead engage in a thoughtful discussion about community demands.

The Impact of Economic Withdrawal

• 📢 Companies like Target have a history of attempting to buy off Black leadership, a tactic that has persisted for decades.
• 🚫 The denominations' acceptance of the donation is seen as a failure to stand with the community and a "slave mentality."
• 💡 The movement for economic justice, initiated by individuals like Bryant and Senator Nina Turner, cannot be stopped by these denominations because they did not start it.
• 🗣️ Sharon Reed highlighted that Dr. King understood transactions and that the boycott was a transaction that forced change, unlike the current situation where denominations are accepting money without achieving the community's goals.
• 💰 The relatively small amount of $300,000 is seen as an insult given the community's daily spending and Target's profits, questioning Target's respect for the Black community.