Black church leader calls for Dollar General digital protest, Target fast successful
The Georgia pastor who led a 40-day boycott of Target is turning his attention to another major retailer: Dollar General.
Jamal-Harrison Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, announced a new electronic protest against the discount chain, saying it has abandoned DEI policies.
Bryant says Dollar General benefits from the spending power of Black and low-income shoppers but fails to reinvest in the communities it serves. He's calling on the company to recommit to fair hiring practices, supplier diversity and community investment.
The protest begins immediately. Here's what you need to know about the electronic protest against Dollar General.
While it's not a boycott, Bryant urges supporters to flood Dollar General with emails, phone calls and social media posts to push for change. There is no official end date, as Bryant wants this to be a continuous effort until change is made. Bryant says that too many rural shoppers rely on the discount chain for their fresh produce and other grocer needs.
According to Statista.com, Alabama has 975 Dollar General stores, the eighth-highest number in the country.
Montgomery: 18 locations
Birmingham: 7 locations
Tuscaloosa: 12 locations
Gadsden: 7 locations
Mobile: 17 locations
President Donald Trump's push to eliminate federal DEI programs has led major retailers and corporations to scale back their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
In response, consumers and activists have staged multiple economic blackouts since February.
The "Target Fast," which was supposed to last until the end of Lent, has now been extended to an indefinite blackout. Since February, other separate economic blackouts have taken place, with The People's Union targeting Walmart, Nestle, and General Mills.
Data collected shows that the blackout against Target has been successful. According to a USA Today report, on Jan. 31, the day before the boycott began, shares closed at $137.91. By April 8, they had dropped nearly 36% to $88.76.
Foot traffic has also dipped. According to data from Placer.ai, which tracks in-store visits using millions of mobile devices, visits were down in the weeks following the removal of DEI. In Alabama, visits were down over 2% in April.
On April 17, Target CEO Brian Cornell requested a meeting with Bryant and Rev. Al Sharpton. Cornell said Target plans to renew its $2 billion commitment to support Black-owned brands and businesses. Cornell says he intends to meet the goal by July 31, but no public announcement has been made, and says it expects to reach the goal by the end of the year.
Contributing: Betty Lin-Fisher
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Dollar General Alabama protest now: Pastor demands change in hiring, equity
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
an hour ago
- Black America Web
The Disrespect: Trump Disregards Juneteenth, Says US Has ‘Too Many Non-Working Holidays'
Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty Black MAGA, y'all alright? Donald Trump has once again shown us who he is, the most un-American, unproductive, and unapologetically divisive figure ever elected to the highest office in the land, who has the audacity to complain about 'non-working' holidays—namely, Juneteenth. On Thursday (Jun 19), as Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth, commemorating the end of chattel slavery in the United States, Trump didn't issue a statement, attend an event, or offer even a hollow gesture of recognition. Instead, he took to his communication platform, Truth Social, to complain that America has 'too many non-working holidays,' intentionally ignoring one of the most historically significant dates for our community. 'Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed,' Trump said Thursday on Truth Social without explicitly mentioning Juneteenth. Allow me to say the quiet part out loud: This wasn't an oversight; it was an intentional and calculated decision to disrespect. While Trump spent the holiday doing nothing, former President Joe Biden spent the day honoring Juneteenth at the exact site where Union soldiers arrived in 1865 to inform more than 250,000 enslaved people of their freedom, Reedy Chapel AME Church in Galveston, Texas. It's a stark contrast moment that shows the difference between honoring American history and actively trying to erase it. According to the White House, Trump had initially planned to sign a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth, but that plan was quietly scrapped without explanation after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the administration was 'working 24/7' before dismissing the need for a Juneteenth proclamation altogether. 'I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today,' she said. 'I know this is a federal holiday.' What's more disrespectful is that this is the same administration that uses Black people as props while refusing to protect Black life or recognize Black history. Whether it's photo ops with Black pastors, staged roundtables with cherry-picked community 'leaders,' lying on us with fake stats, or parading out HUD Secretary Scott Turner for cover, Trump's playbook is always the same: surround yourself with Black faces while ignoring Black voices. And let's talk directly to the 30% of Black voters who proudly say they support Trump. This is what you're co-signing—a man who weaponizes the Black struggle when it suits his narrative and ignores it when it requires decorum. Trump claims to have 'made Juneteenth famous' in 2020, as if generations of Black Americans haven't been celebrating the day with parades, cookouts, and sacred remembrance for over a century, only to pretend a few years later that it doesn't matter—and that's the bigger issue. Trump's rejection of Juneteenth isn't just disrespectful; it's part of a much larger and more dangerous pattern by an elderly man who's waging war on DEI initiatives, rewriting curriculum to exclude critical race theory, and gutting federal protections for Black workers. And let's not forget, Trump had no problem announcing two new holidays, Victory Days for both world wars — including one that already exists as Veterans Day, but Juneteenth is suddenly too costly, because it's too Black. It's clear that Trump's disregard for Juneteenth is not about the number of holidays, but instead about denying the truth of America's past to protect the illusion of its innocence and solidifying to his base that acknowledging Black liberation is optional. Deepak Sarma, inaugural distinguished scholar in the public humanities at Case Western Reserve University, told HuffPost that Trump's reversal on Juneteenth this year shows that his political strategies embrace 'cruelty,' and that he employed a 'bait-and-switch' in an attempt to woo Black supporters; noting that Trump is 'appealing only to his MAGA constituents, many of whom were covert, and now are overt, racists,' and he has discarded the concerns of his Black supporters. 'This is consistent with his Machiavellian political philosophy, which embraces deception, cruelty, and immorality to achieve his selfish goals,' Sarma told the publication. '[Rejecting] DEI, embracing pro-life, utilizing ICE, are all ways to cater to MAGA voters.' Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has done more to dismantle Black progress than almost any president in modern history. From banning DEI programs to banning books about Black history, his record speaks louder than his silence ever could. So yes, Trump's refusal to acknowledge Juneteenth is disrespectful; it's also entirely on brand, serving as a reminder that his presidency is built on white grievance, historical revisionism, and the suppression of truth. SEE ALSO: Thanks To Donald Trump, The American Dream Is Dead Donald Trump, Executive Overreach, And Project 2025's Blueprint SEE ALSO The Disrespect: Trump Disregards Juneteenth, Says US Has 'Too Many Non-Working Holidays' was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos: S.F. Juneteenth Parade a joyful celebration of Black freedom and heritage
The third annual San Francisco Juneteenth Parade enlivened Market Street on Sunday with an array of floats and performers, united by the theme of Black pride. A dozen block parties were in full swing through the duration of the parade, from the Embarcadero to Civic Center. The parties featured children's activities, a car show, games, giveaways, line dancing, musical performances and dances. San Francisco's parade was one of many events around the Bay Area this month celebrating Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned of their emancipation more than two years earlier. President Joe Biden declared June 19 a federal holiday four years ago, though his successor, President Donald Trump, did not sign a proclamation celebrating Juneteenth this year. Trump, who has sought to end diversity, equity and inclusion policies nationwide, has said the U.S. has 'too many non-working holidays' and that they harm the economy. Regardless, the mood was celebratory and upbeat Thursday during the Hella Juneteenth Festival at the Oakland Museum of California, where hundreds of people enjoyed live music, food and drinks while acknowledging the added significance of the holiday this year under Trump. Last weekend, San Francisco's Fillmore neighborhood celebrated Juneteenth with a party spanning eight blocks featuring performers, vendors, games and a fashion show.
USA Today
9 hours ago
- USA Today
US strikes on Iran could hit American economy at a fragile time
The U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend could ratchet up the pressure on an American economy that's turned increasingly fragile as a weekslong global trade war takes a toll. America's entry into what had been attacks between Israel and Iran is most likely to impact oil prices, investors said, which could ripple through the economy by causing higher transportation and gas prices, just as overall inflation throughout the economy has seemed to be contained. Energy analyst Rachel Ziemba told USA Today on June 22 oil prices may not trade much higher until and unless there's a sustained supply shock, like Iran deciding to block the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Iran's parliament on June 22 reportedly approved a measure endorsing exactly that, though whether it happens comes down to Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Ziemba calls that a 'low probability, high impact' risk – and one that commodities traders will likely struggle to price. That means energy prices may be volatile until conditions settle down – even as summer vacations start in earnest and a massive heat wave grips the central and eastern parts of the country. Any shock to financial markets and disruption of American consumers' expectations for the summer months comes as the overall economy is weakening quickly. "The world economy is not in a strong position to absorb another energy shock," warned Nigel Green, chief executive of deVere Group, a financial advisory firm. The U.S. joining the conflict between Israel and Iran raises the risks of a "sharp, global reaction," Green added. 'Investors are currently positioned for rate cuts, stable energy prices and an orderly global outlook," he said in a June 18 note. "A sudden and serious expansion of this conflict would force a violent repricing of risk across all major asset classes.' On June 18, the Labor Department reported that claims for unemployment insurance continued to rise. 'Uncertainty is leading companies to trim staff ahead of what could be a downturn in the economy. Batten down the hatches is what company executives are saying as the trade war and rumors of real war are starting to take a toll on the business outlook,' said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist with market research firm FWDBONDS LLC, in an email. Analysts at Oxford Economics take a more benign view. 'Rising Middle East tensions represent another adverse shock to an already weak economy,' they wrote on June 18. Their models suggest that oil prices at about $130 a barrel would pressure inflation to 6%. Post-pandemic inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. That would put the Federal Reserve in a difficult position. The Fed raises interest rates to tame inflation, and cuts them to support borrowing and economic growth. So far this year, the central bank has held rates steady as it waits to see more information about how tariffs are playing out in the economy, but that may change. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, speaking after the central bank held interest rates steady for the fourth consecutive meeting on June 18, told reporters the Fed is watching the situation in the Middle East, "like everybody else is." "What's tended to happen is when there's turmoil in the Middle East, you may see a spike in energy prices," Powell said prior to the U.S. strikes. "Those things don't generally tend to have lasting effects on inflation, although of course in the 1970s, they famously did, because you had a series of very, very large shocks. But, we haven't seen anything like that now." The U.S. economy is far less dependent on foreign oil than it was back in the 1970s, Powell added.
