Target is being (and recently has been) boycotted mainly because it scaled back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and was seen as caving to political pressure, especially after Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Quick Scoop

In early 2025, Target announced that it was rolling back several DEI commitments it had made after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, including public goals around hiring, promotion, and spending with Black- and minority‑owned businesses. This shift came as Trump, a critic of such programs, reentered office, which many activists interpreted as Target “capitulating” to the MAGA movement rather than standing by earlier promises.

Civil rights and faith leaders, including pastor Jamal Bryant, responded by organizing a 40‑day Lenten boycott sometimes called a “Target Fast,” urging people not to shop at the chain to protest the DEI pullback. The boycott drew on the history of civil‑rights–era economic boycotts and was framed around the idea: “We don’t shop where we aren’t respected.”

At the same time, Target has also faced backlash from the opposite side of the political spectrum in previous years, including a 2023 conservative‑led boycott over LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise and inclusive marketing, with critics saying the brand was “too woke.” That means Target has, in different moments, been boycotted both for being too inclusive and for retreating from inclusion, illustrating how polarized the environment around corporate values has become.

Financially, analysts say the DEI‑related boycotts and negative headlines hurt Target’s reputation and added pressure during a period when the company was already struggling with weaker sales, messy stores, and cautious consumers. The company changed CEOs in 2025, and the new chief, Michael Fiddelke, has tried to calm tensions and listen to stakeholders, but protest leaders have pushed for concrete steps such as renewed investment in Black businesses, HBCU campus stores, and full reinstatement of DEI goals.

Recently, some organizers announced an end to the formal year‑long boycott, saying they had made their point, though many activists and shoppers still see Target as a test case for how far big retailers will go in sticking with public commitments to diversity under political and economic pressure.

TL;DR: People have boycotted Target for opposite reasons over the last few years—first conservatives over LGBTQ+ inclusion, and more recently civil‑rights and faith leaders over Target scaling back its DEI commitments after previously promising strong support for Black and other marginalized communities.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.