By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter — May 20, 2025
In Stonecrest, Georgia, Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is preparing to lead a powerful protest outside a Target store this Memorial Day weekend. On Sunday, May 25, Bryant and his congregation will hold a nine-minute and 40-second demonstration to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s tragic death in Minneapolis.
Bryant describes the protest as an act of “righteous indignation,” with the congregation gathering outside the Target in Conyers, Georgia, refusing to enter the store. This demonstration aims to raise awareness and honor Floyd’s memory while calling attention to ongoing social justice issues. Supporters from at least 67 other churches nationwide are expected to participate in similar walkouts.
“This Sunday marks five years since George Floyd was murdered, a moment that shook the world,” Bryant told his church. “We will not shop at Target that day — instead, we will pray outside in righteous indignation.”
Background on George Floyd’s Death and Protest Duration
George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25, 2020, while in police custody, as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck. The harrowing incident, recorded on video, sparked widespread protests across the United States and beyond. Though initially reported as lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds, recent reports adjusted the duration to approximately 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Bryant’s team confirmed that their protest length—9 minutes and 40 seconds—symbolically reflects the time Floyd was restrained.
Ongoing Boycott Against Target
This protest follows Bryant’s rejection of Target’s recent offer to resolve a dispute over the company’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. For 40 days, Bryant and supporters led a “Target Fast” boycott, refusing to shop at the retail giant to pressure them into reinstating their DEI commitments.
Target pledged to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by July 31, but Bryant criticized the company for not fulfilling other key demands. These include depositing $250 million in Black-owned banks, restoring full DEI commitments, and establishing community centers at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to foster retail business education.
Bryant stated, “We got one commitment but walked away without assurance on the other three. Their currency doesn’t ride with us.”
Broader Context and Impact
The boycott emerges amid a wider corporate reevaluation of DEI policies following a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that affected race-conscious admissions practices at universities. Bryant has accused Target and similar corporations like Walmart of yielding to political pressure aimed at dismantling DEI efforts.
Since the boycott’s start in early March, Target has reported a decline in sales, which some analysts partly attribute to consumer uncertainty and Bryant’s campaign. Bryant has called the DEI rollback a “spit in the face” to Black communities and emphasized the tangible impact of the protest on Target’s stock performance.
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton also engaged with Target’s leadership, describing his meeting as “constructive,” though Bryant’s team did not comment on any differing views.
