Emmy Award-winning actress, bestselling author, and entrepreneur Tabitha Brown is standing firm in her support for Black authors and creators, speaking out once again against the negative impact of the ongoing Target boycott—and this time, she’s not holding back.
On May 20, the 46-year-old influencer and founder of Donna’s Recipe took to Instagram to respond to critics who flooded her DMs and comment sections with hate for previously warning that the boycott could hurt Black authors and small businesses.
In her latest video, Brown began with grace and compassion, saying, “This is my prayer for you. I pray that love finds you, true love… that somebody loves you enough to sacrifice their life for you.”
But Brown’s message wasn’t just spiritual—it was a rallying cry for awareness. In her caption, she directly addressed the backlash:
“There is no amount of hate and ignorance that is going to stop me from using my platform and my voice to support and uplift small businesses, Black-owned businesses, Black content creators, and Black authors.”
The Target boycott, which began in early 2025 in response to the retailer’s perceived rollback of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts, has had ripple effects across the publishing and retail industries. According to Brown, many Black authors who depend on Target’s massive distribution power have seen book sales plummet—hindering their chances of making the New York Times bestseller list and harming future publishing opportunities.
“Target is a huge book retailer… because of the boycott, many of our Black authors’ books did not sell well,” Brown explained. “It affects their sales. It affects their ability to be on the New York Times bestseller list. But the bigger issue is that it also affects the next deal.”
Brown also urged publishers not to judge their Black authors’ sales based on this volatile moment.
“These numbers are not reflecting their truth,” she said. “They’re talented writers with beautiful stories, and they’re being affected by something that they did not do.”
While her stance has drawn criticism from boycott supporters, Brown isn’t backing down.
“Take it up with God,” she declared. “He gave me my voice, He blessed me with a platform, and I’m going to use it.”
Brown continues to encourage her followers to support Black authors through alternative retailers or directly from publishers.
“If you’re going to boycott,” she added, “be mindful of how it’s impacting innocent creators and find ways to support them anyway.”
As one of the most visible Black entrepreneurs in America—known for her viral vegan cooking videos, bestselling memoirs, and retail partnerships—Tabitha Brown is using her platform to make sure the boycott doesn’t silence the stories that matter.
