#NNPA BlackPress

Target’s Partnership with National Baptist Convention Backfires

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.”

Published

8 months ago

June 24, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

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.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

Up Next

Congressman Al Green Introduces Article of Impeachment to Protect American Democracy from an Authoritarian President’s Abuse of Power

Don't Miss

Trump Announces Ceasefire Between Israel and Iran

Stacy M. Brown

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”