Latest news with #YusefJackson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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. Target latest company to roll back DEI programs 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. Target sales drop in 1st quarter and retailer warns they will slip for all of 2025 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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Rainbow PUSH calls for boycott against Target as annual "People's Conference" begins
As the Rainbow PUSH Coalition kicked off its annual People's Conference on Thursday, leaders encouraged people to fight growing threats to justice and equality, and defend civil rights. Top of mind was a demand for corporations to keep in place diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, or restore policies they have scaled back or dropped entirely since President Trump took office and took aim at DEI programs. The conference's theme is "A Call to Action." It's meant to underscore the need for resistance against threats to civil rights. "I think we've never had here what we face here before," Rainbow PUSH chief operating officer Yusef Jackson said. Jackson's father and founder of the organization, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, was also in attendance. Yusef Jackson told those gathered the gains made during the civil rights movement are now under threat. "The very executive order that authorized the Civil Rights Act, Donald Trump wrote an executive order to overthrow or to undermine or to rescind," he said. The title of the opening luncheon at the conference was Rebuilding America Through Coalition. "We're gathered together across race, religion, across ethnicities, across party lines even. There are Democrats here and there are Republicans here. We've crossed all kinds of economic lines, all together based on common ground, because we want a better society for our future," Yusef Jackson said. Rev. Ira Acree, from Greater St. John Bible Church in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, was among those attending. "In our community, faith leaders are influencers, and these faith leaders can inspire their congregants and people in the community to participate in protest. In this particular climate, if we don't stand together all of the particular accomplishments and all of the civil rights that we acquired back in the 60s will be rolled back," Acree said. Also on the agenda for the first day of the PUSH conference was a protest outside the Target store on State Street in the Loop, led by the Rev. Jamal Bryant. The Atlanta-based pastor spearheaded a national boycott against Target after it decided to do away with its DEI initiatives days after Trump took office. "This has been the most effective boycott for Black people in 70 years; since the Montgomery bus boycott. When we started, Target's shares were a $145 a share, it's now down to $93 a share," he said. Bryant said he hopes Target finds some resolution to reinstate DEI policies soon. Meantime, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition People's Conference takes place through Saturday.
