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Pastor Jamal Bryant called out Cardi B with a "chest full of love" for not participating in his national boycott against Target after the retail giant rolled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday (June 3), Bryant penned a lengthy message to Cardi B, informing her about the Target boycott after she recently shared a picture of her and her children shopping in the store.
“Dear @iamcardib, Grace and Peace to you! I come to you with a chest full of love,” Bryant wrote. “When I saw you post a picture of you and your beautiful family in the store, I felt certain that with your demanding schedule, you were probably unaware. Having 163 million [people] following you is a great deal of influence, and many follow your lead. I hope you will visit targetfast.org and walk alongside us.”
“I’m fully aware that you identify as Latino and that you have children that represent both communities, and to that end, you should know the movement has support as well as buy-in from the Latino community and more specifically, workers. Your presence to be a part of the most effective boycott in 70 years since the Montgomery bus boycott! In the words of Martin Luther King, a person who doesn’t stand for something will fall for anything," he continued.
Bryant's callout comes as civil rights activists and community leaders are urging consumers to avoid shopping at Target after the retailer pulled back on its DEI initiatives in compliance with the Trump administration.
“There has been a national boycott against @target because they have betrayed our community by dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion. African Americans have spent 12 million dollars a day, and yet they don’t see us as a viable partner," Bryant wrote Tuesday. "We’ve asked them to invest in black banks, black colleges, and black communities, and under pressure from the administration, they haven’t felt compelled to even respond. Our unified movement of churches and grassroots organizations has led to a drop in their stock, a reduction of foot traffic, a reduction of their valuation, and a slashing of the CEO’s salary. Last, we collectively have cancelled Target because we don’t think patronizing them is best for our community.”
Social media users had mixed reactions to Bryant publicly addressing Cardi over the issue.
"Inappropriate to repost her and children. You could’ve got in touch with her personally. It was a better way to handle this as a pastor!" one Instagram user commented.
"He’s not bashing her… He’s simply asking her to join in… Can yall read and comprehend???" another user said.
"Coming with peace and grace but posting this and with her child in the picture is the devils work ❗️❗️❗️ you could’ve inbox her 🚫," a third person chimed in.
"He literally said 'with your demanding schedule you were probably unaware' he is not bashing Cardi… I believe she will join in and if she doesn’t that’s her choice," a fourth said.
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