Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is urging consumers to reconsider where they spend their money, endorsing the idea of boycotting Target and other major retailers she says have retreated from meaningful engagement with Black communities.
Speaking Monday on the podcast COSIGN Conversations, Crockett, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, said modern boycott efforts have lacked discipline and urgency. She argued that economic pressure remains one of the most effective tools for marginalized communities to demand accountability from corporations that once publicly embraced diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives but are now scaling them back.
“I think the idea of just boycotting completely, I think we’ve not been good at that in modern day,” Crockett said. “But boycotting those businesses that don’t want to do work with us, I want to see a bad Q1 for Target. I do. I want to see their numbers go down.”
Crockett pointed to Target’s longstanding marketing of Black-owned haircare and cosmetic products as evidence that the company has profited heavily from Black consumers while, in her view, retreating from commitments to equity. She encouraged Black entrepreneurs to invest in building and supporting their own businesses instead of relying on large retailers.
Her comments come as progressive leaders, including Rev. Al Sharpton, have called for boycotts of Target after the company announced plans to scale back certain DEI initiatives in 2025. The shift follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to end DEI practices and encouraging private companies to follow suit.
The debate over Target intensified this week when protesters staged an anti-ICE sit-in at a Minnesota store, alleging that the company allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to operate in its parking lot.
During the interview, Crockett framed the rollback of DEI efforts and immigration enforcement policies as part of what she called a broader “White supremacy agenda.”
“It all boils down to a White supremacy agenda, period,” she said, linking anti-DEI measures, immigration crackdowns and attacks on LGBTQ rights under the same umbrella.
