A yearlong boycott over Target’s diversity, equity, and inclusion rollback hit a snag this week—but not an end, as organizers behind the main national campaign made it clear the fight rolls on.

On Wednesday, rev. Jamal Bryant, an Atlanta megachurch pastor, announced the end of the boycott at the National Press Club, calling it a win, despite no concessions on Target’s end.

"We are effectively today closing this chapter because we have other fights that we've got to see and other things that we've got to tackle," said Bryant.

The announcement drew immediate backlash online because the official boycott was launched in 2025 by local leaders and activists Nekima Levy Armstrong, Jaylani Hussein, and Monique Cullars-Doty. Bryant led a smaller and separate community Target "fast" after the official boycott.

"Don't be fooled, the Target boycott continues. It continues because the demand has yet to be met," said Hussein.

"At the end of January 2025, we called for a nationwide boycott of Target. [Jamal Bryant's] 40-day fast began in March, and again it was limited to 40 days, so how did 40 days turn into him being seen as the leader of the Nationwide Target boycott?" said Levy Armstrong as reported by CBS.

Georgia Fort, an independent journalist, also broke down the confusion in an informational video shared online. Fort — who also made headlines after she covered the viral “Church” protest with Don Lemon — went on to remind the public who is actually behind the national boycott through some good old-fashioned fact-checking.

“Two different things started last year. A 40-day Target Fast started on March 5, which was Ash Wednesday; it galvanized the clergy and church community to boycott Target. The National Target Boycott started a month earlier on February 1st. And has continued without interruption,” she said. “But the three founders in Minnesota, where Target is headquartered — where the National Target Boycott started, say they’re still holding the line.”

For many, Wednesday’s announcement was seen as a PR reset and test for the retailer’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke. Though this seemingly brought more attention to the company's continued anti-DEI stance.

According to Axios, former Ohio state senator Nina Turner also accused Target of “yielding to bigotry,” and activist Tamika Mallory said the company still hasn’t publicly acknowledged the harm its DEI retreat caused Black customers.

With Black Americans’ buying power estimated at around $2 trillion, the fight over Target shows how younger, values-driven consumers are trying to use their wallets to pressure big brands — even when the policy wins are murky.

"Continue to double down, hold Target accountable, the boycott continues," said Levy Armstrong.