WASHINGTON— “Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a worker’s rights issue,” declared Nina Turner outside one of Target’s busiest D.C. stores on Saturday, Oct. 25.
“Corporate responsibility is a thing, and corporations in the United States of America that make their money off of the backs of working-class people,” Turner said, “should support those working-class people!”
The former Ohio state senator and national co-chair of the 2020 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign traveled to Washington to participate in a rally and informational picket in front of one of the retail giant’s outlets alongside clergy, local representatives, and community leaders.
Turner, together with Rev. Jamal Bryant and Tamika Mallory, has been spearheading the national boycott effort against Target since it was launched during Black History Month 2025. The campaign was launched after Target, following other companies like Walmart and Amazon, ditched its DEI initiatives following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Rev. Bryant, who initiated the “Target Fast” which lasted 40 days from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday, has encouraged hundreds of Black churches around the country to engage in the boycott, including by hosting national prayer vigils in front of Target stores on the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in May.
This national effort by the Black church encouraged local progressive Black clergy in D.C. to meet and develop a platform and program to have “boots-on-the-ground” and picket a particular Target store in order to directly engage the community outside of mass media.
Activists say their efforts are seeing some success. They point to plunging foot traffic in stores, CEO nearly 50% pay cut and resignation of the CEO, and the over $12 billion loss in the company’s share prices, a decline of over 60% from its 2021 stock value. Recently, Target announced that it will be cutting over 1,000 corporate jobs and closing some stores, like the Cleveland Park location in D.C.
In August, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which represents 1.8 million members, became the first national labor union to sign on to the boycott. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) led the charge to win over the whole AFT to the campaign.
With this move, public school teachers and educators have been moving away from Target as a place to purchase classroom items and back-to-school products. The effort has become a template for other major unions as one way to rebuild the historic African American and labor alliance which proved essential to many progressive victories in the past.
This labor orientation also begs the question of whether unionizing Target workers should be an additional front in the boycott. That possibility is starting to be raised in certain circles as a potential tactic, especially given that Starbucks coffee shops operate in many Target stores around the country and the solidarity with workers trying to organized that company could be crucial.
Turner spoke alongside D.C. Shadow Rep. Oye Owolewa, Rising Organizers staffer Aaron Booe, Rev. Lewis Tait, Jr., Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) President Elise Bryant, and other supporters. The local D.C. boycott coalition has been picketing the same Target store for over 32 weeks and is now looking to expand its efforts in the region by partnering with more local organizations, labor unions, and community leaders.
The organizers in Washington hope to inspire other efforts around the country to build coalitions with Black churches, labor union locals, and community leaders and engage with the public about the boycott of Target and its importance in the struggle against MAGA racism and the fascist drive of the Trump administration.
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