Target’s Partnership with National Baptist Convention Backfires – BlackPressUSA

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Pastor Jamal Bryant, who led the recent 40-day #TargetFast, said the partnership undermines the collective sacrifice made by churches and congregants who stood together against Target’s DEI backpedaling. “This boycott is the most successful economic protest by Black people in over 70 years,” Bryant said. “Target knows exactly what it’s doing. This isn’t partnership. It’s an attempt to fracture unity.”
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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. is facing mounting criticism after announcing a three-year, $300,000 partnership with Target, a company at the center of an ongoing boycott over its retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The deal, made public on June 20, is intended to support scholarships, senior programs, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. But national faith leaders, media figures, and everyday churchgoers are denouncing the move as a betrayal.
Target, a multi-billion-dollar retailer, has faced criticism in recent months after scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in response to political pressure. Religious leaders and activists who launched the boycott accuse the company of abandoning commitments to Black communities. Target told Black Press USA that it hadn’t abandoned those commitments.
However, critics maintain the company has turned its back on Black America. They argue that the partnership with one of the nation’s oldest Black faith organizations sends the wrong message.
Roland Martin, one of the country’s most prominent African American journalists and boycott supporter, called the move “a stunning act of betrayal to Black America.” He noted that with more than 31,000 churches affiliated with the convention, the $300,000 commitment amounts to less than $10 per church. “This is a $9.67 sellout,” Martin said. “You don’t get to speak for us when you never talked to us.”
Martin also criticized the lack of transparency and consultation. “The leadership of the National Baptist Convention made no effort to talk with, consult, or reach out to the leaders of the Target boycott,” he said. “They accepted $300,000 while the boycott is still active. That’s the definition of selling out Black people for crumbs.”
Others within the faith community quickly joined in. Pastor Jamal Bryant, who led the recent 40-day #TargetFast, said the partnership undermines the collective sacrifice made by churches and congregants who stood together against Target’s DEI backpedaling. “This boycott is the most successful economic protest by Black people in over 70 years,” Bryant said. “Target knows exactly what it’s doing. This isn’t partnership. It’s an attempt to fracture unity.”
Rev. Marcus D. Cosby of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston urged his congregation to continue to pressure Target. “We cannot be bought off,” Cosby said. “Support Black-owned businesses. Keep your dollars aligned with your values.”
The Inspirational Gospel Music Channel and Black Westchester media outlets described the deal as “a pittance from a multi-billion-dollar corporation” and warned that it “undermines the DEI movement.” They questioned how a corporation that cut ties with Black vendors and walked away from inclusion could regain trust by offering a symbolic donation.
On social media, backlash grew. The hashtag #NotMyNBC gained traction, with users calling the deal “a weak compromise” and “PR spin disguised as solidarity.” One Facebook post read, “If your church is one of the 31,000, demand your pastor explain taking dirty money.” Another user wrote, “Respectability over resistance. Silence over solidarity.”
NBCUSA President Dr. Boise Kimber has defended the deal, saying Target responded positively to their outreach and that the funds will help churches improve lives through education and economic empowerment. But that explanation has done little to ease tensions.
Critics argue that such partnerships should not be made without community input, especially during a boycott. They say the timing and the dollar amount only add insult to injury.
“This is not how you stand with your people,” Martin said. “This is how you chase a check while the rest of us are doing the work.”
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A Little About Me: I’m the co-author of Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula Hardaway and her son, Stevie Wonder (Simon & Schuster) and Michael Jackson: The Man Behind The Mask, An Insider’s Account of the King of Pop (Select Books Publishing, Inc.) My work can often be found in the Washington Informer, Baltimore Times, Philadelphia Tribune, Pocono Record, the New York Post, and Black Press USA.
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BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The historically diverse statewide ticket in Virginia includes an openly gay Republican white male, a Black male attorney from Norfolk, a Jamaican-born U.S. Marine corps veteran, a Muslim woman born in India, a white woman who was a CIA officer and a Cuban American Republican.
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By Lauren Victoria Burke
BlackPressUSA Newswire Contributor
All eyes will be on Virginia and New Jersey as voters select a Governor and other statewide officials in those states this year.
The “off year” elections will be viewed as a referendum on President Trump. They will take place well after Trump’s budget is decided on and as many of his decisions on war, immigration and health care have hit home for many voters. Many could say that’s already happened.
But in Virginia, the question of diversity will be on the ballot as the Commonwealth presents the most diverse statewide ticket in U.S. history.
The historically diverse statewide ticket in Virginia includes an openly gay Republican white male, a Black male attorney from Norfolk, a Jamaican-born U.S. Marine corps veteran, a Muslim woman born in India, a white woman who was a CIA officer and a Cuban American Republican. Who knew that a southern state could yield such a diverse ticket at a time when the Trump Administration has marketed heavily against “DEI” in an attempt to use it as a political weapon against Democrats?
Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears is the GOP nominee for Governor in Virginia. Her personal story includes her father immigrating from Jamaica, where Earle-Sears was born, to support the family. She served in the U.S. Marines and is currently the sitting Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
The Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor is openly gay conservative talk show host John Reid. Reid had to fight his own party off after he was challenged by Youngkin to drop out of the race in April after photos surfaced on social media. Instead, Reid fought off the controversy and threatened to sue a political operative of Gov. Youngkin. The GOP ticket in Virginia is rounded out by the sitting Attorney General in Virginia: Jason Miyares. Miyares won alongside Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2021 as they defeated the ticket led by Terry McAuliffe.
On the Democratic side, former Congresswoman and CIA officer Abigail Spanberger spent six years in Congress branding as bipartisan and moderate. Spanberger appears to be extending that strategy into her race for Governor. In a May 9 interview with Vanity Fair, she stated that President Trump will not necessarily be a primary focus over issues such as the economy. But in a year that features Trump’s authoritarianism on full display, many voters on the left are calling for fire and brimstone and they’re looking for someone who will bring the heat to the Trump Administration.
With Earle Sears and Spanberger at the top of the Republican and Democratic tickets in Virginia it’s certain that the next Governor will be a woman — which will make history in the state.
The Democrats are running State Senator Ghazala Hashmi as their candidate for Lieutenant Governor to go up against John Reid.
Hashmi has focused on progressive issues in the Virginia Senate and worked to protect health care. Her strength is that she will always be the adult in the room and will likely attract a powerful segment of the electorate that doesn’t get a lot of media attention: Voters of South Asian descent.
Finally, at Attorney General, Virginia’s Democratic nominee is former Virginia House of Delegates member Jay Jones, 36. Jones’ resume includes working as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. He is the only Black male on either ticket and will likely bring much needed help to Spanberger to win over Black voters in November.
Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the owner of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show Comms Class on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke.
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hall of Fame Inductee CC Sabathia headlined the event and was the winning pitcher for the West Team, as they beat the East Team 3-0 in the scheduled five inning game. Prince Fielder won the home run derby outlasting former Atlanta Braves star Andruw Jones. There was a three-hour rain delay before the teams took the field at Rickwood.
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By Lenn Durant | National Sports Report – (Birmingham, AL)
Legends of the game gathered at historic Rickwood Field in Major League Baseball’s celebration of the Negro League All-Stars coinciding with Juneteenth. The star studded event honored the rich history of the Negro Leagues with some of the original players in attendance. Former players played an exhibition game as well as a home run derby on the same field where the game’s greatest athletes once played.
Hall of Fame Inductee CC Sabathia headlined the event and was the winning pitcher for the West Team, as they beat the East Team 3-0 in the scheduled five inning game. Prince Fielder won the home run derby outlasting former Atlanta Braves star Andruw Jones. There was a three-hour rain delay before the teams took the field at Rickwood.
Hosting the festivities was Birmingham native, comedian Ron Wood Jr. currently on the TV show “Have I Got News For You” on CNN. Some of the greats who participated included Gary Sheffield, Ryan Howard, Matt Kemp, Chris Young, Jake Peavy, and Mike Cameron.
“There’s a direct connection between this field and all of us because we wouldn’t be able to play the game if it wasn’t for the guys that paved the way that played on this field.,” Sabathia said. “This won’t be the last time we’re down here.” This was the second annual East West Classic. Last year the inaugural event was held at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.”
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By Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
46th President of the United States: 2021—2025
The people of Galveston, Texas, have been commemorating Juneteenth since the Civil War ended. Yesterday, in honor of the 160^th anniversary, I went there to join them.
You can read about the events of Juneteenth, but there’s nothing quite like going to Galveston and seeing where it all happened.
After General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Union troops marched across the South for two months, freeing enslaved people along the way. Their final stop was Galveston, an island off the Gulf coast of Texas. There, on June 19, 1865, Union troops went to Reedy Chapel, a church founded in 1848 by enslaved people, and posted a document titled simply “General Order #3.”
“The people of Texas are informed,” it said, “that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
We can only imagine the joy that spread through Galveston – and across the state and nation – on that day and those that followed.
Yesterday, there was once again joy in Galveston, with a parade, picnic, and fireworks. There was also great solemnity, because Juneteenth is a sacred day – a day of weight and power.
The Book of Psalms tells us: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and the promise of that joyful morning to come.
As President, I had the great honor of signing the law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was our nation’s first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was created in 1983.
Our federal holidays say a lot about who we are as a nation. We have holidays celebrating our independence… the laborers who build this nation… the servicemembers who served and died in its defense.
And now, we also have a national holiday dedicated to the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.
Signing that law was one of my proudest acts as President.
Yet for 156 years, Juneteenth was not written about in textbooks or taught in classrooms. Still today, there are those who say it does not deserve a holiday. They don’t want to remember the moral stain of slavery and the terrible harm it did to our country.
I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.
I also believe that it’s not enough to commemorate the past. We must also embrace the obligation we have to the future. As Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.” And right now, we Americans need to keep the faith and do the work.
In honor of Juneteenth, let’s help people register to vote.
For decades, we fought to expand voting rights in America. Now we’re living in an era when relentless obstacles are being thrown in the way of people trying to vote. We can’t let those tactics defeat us. In America, the power belongs with the people. And the way we show that power is by voting.
So let’s reach out to family, friends and neighbors – especially those who have never voted before. Remind them that with voting, anything is possible. And without it, nothing is possible.
Yesterday in Galveston, we gathered in Reedy Chapel to commemorate Juneteenth, just like people have done for 160 years and counting. We prayed, sang, and read General Order #3 again. The pews were full of families. How many people must have prayed for freedom inside those walls. How many must have sent fervent thanks to God when slavery finally ended.
I remembered the words of my late friend John Lewis. He said, “Freedom is not a state. It is an act.”
Juneteenth did not mark the end of America’s work to deliver on the promise of equality. It only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we must continue to work toward that promise. For our freedom. For our democracy. And for America itself.
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Juneteenth is a day for African Americans in this nation to connect to their ancestry. It honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The primary focus is freedom and the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
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By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent
President Trump is set to proclaim the federal observance of Juneteenth as the White House is open for business on this holiday. The White House says the president will sign a “historic proclamation designating Juneteenth as a National Day of Observance, marking the 160th anniversary of General Order Number 3 in Galveston, Texas.” The declaration was that “all slaves are free.” This Trump proclamation, according to the White House, “will celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation, the Republican Party’s role in passing the 13th Amendment, and reaffirm the administration’s dedication to equal justice and prosperity for all.”
This proclamation comes as President Trump has denounced Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and anything Woke. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom from the tyranny of 250 years of slavery after the Civil War.
The Juneteenth celebration started when Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, and told the slaves that they were free on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was created.
The Emancipation Proclamation, which is on display in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House, was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”
Juneteenth is a day for African Americans in this nation to connect to their ancestry. It honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The primary focus is freedom and the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
The Juneteenth federal holiday was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden on June 19, 2021. This Trump White House is in full swing today, with a press briefing by Karoline Leavitt, not taking the federal holiday off. Also, President Trump will receive an intelligence briefing in the morning and participate in a swearing-in ceremony for the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.
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