INDIANAPOLIS — As major retailers join DEI rollbacks, communities are pushing back including Hoosiers right here at home.
“We will not support businesses that do not support us,” said Reverend David Greene, who led a call-to-action Rally outside an Indianapolis Target on West 38th Street.
More than 50 Black leaders, business owners, and consumers showed up to the gathering to announce a ‘fast’ from Target for Lent.
This comes just a day after a 24-hour nationwide economic blackout from retailers who rollbacked Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives.
“We’re not just spiritually fasting, but we’re also going to economically boycott Target for 40 days. People have already committed to it and signed up, so we’re excited about trying to make a difference,” said Greene, who’s also the president of the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis and the Pastor of Purpose of Life Ministries.
The local effort is a part of a nationwide “Spiritual Act of Resistance” started by faith leaders and activists.
“People understand the bottom line which is money, and we know stock prices have already started to drop,” Greene told WRTV.
In January, Target joined the list of major retailers dumping DEI initiatives.
“It totally erases what the Civil Rights Movement did,” Greene said.
The retailer's rollback follows President Trump’s push at the federal level to halt DEI efforts.
Governor Mike Braun also followed suit at the local level signing an executive order to replace DEI with Merit, Excellence, and Innovation or ‘MEI.’
“We’re directing agencies to examine policies and procedures to ensure compliance with recent supreme court rulings and we are closing the chief equity inclusion and opportunity office,” Gov. Braun said back in January when he made the announcement.
The actions are something 20-year business owner Kyle Bibbs believes will truly hurt him and other minority businesses.
“We had a seat at the table with those programs and with them going away we may not have those same opportunities,” Bibbs said.
He owns Bibbs Hauling and is now concerned he might not be able to maintain his business if he is losing out on contracts he would have once got.
“I’m scared, nervous, there’s a lot of uncertainty,” he told WRTV.
That feeling is why he joined the call-to-action Saturday.
“Decisions that have been made through executive orders as well as some legislation that is coming down, we will have to do a multifaceted step in terms of pushing back, this is just step one,” Greene explained. “There may be sometimes where there is no workday, rallies that will take place at various locations in Central Indiana and across the state."
Leaders said the Lenten Target fast will last for 40 days starting March 5 to April 17.
Their goal is to show the impact the Black dollar and consumer has on the economy.
They’re also encouraging everyone to support and shop from local businesses along with those still committed to its DEI efforts.
