News Summary
Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, has initiated an electronic protest against Dollar General due to the rollback of its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Following previous boycotts against Target, Bryant’s campaign encourages community members to voice demands for reinstating DEI practices. He claims Dollar General has caved to political pressure, abandoning its commitment to Black and low-income customers. Bryant seeks support from over 50 Black churches nationwide, emphasizing that the movement aims to foster corporate accountability without boycotting essential services for communities relying on Dollar General.
Atlanta – Jamal Bryant, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, has launched an electronic protest campaign aimed at Dollar General, focusing on the company’s recent rollbacks of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This initiative follows a boycott against Target that Bryant initiated earlier this year. The new protest encourages individuals to inundate Dollar General’s email accounts, phone lines, and social media platforms with demands for reinstatement of DEI practices.
Bryant’s criticisms center on the claim that Dollar General has yielded to political pressure from the Trump administration, leading to significant changes within the company. In 2022, Dollar General terminated its chief diversity officer and subsequently removed diversity-related language from its financial reports. Bryant argues that these actions betray the Black and low-income communities that are vital to Dollar General’s customer base. He contends that the company’s decisions undermine the progress made towards inclusivity and equity.
Although some voices within urban areas have suggested that people avoid shopping at Dollar General, Bryant has clarified that the protest will not constitute a full boycott. He acknowledges that many rural residents rely on Dollar General as a crucial source for groceries and fresh produce. Bryant refers to the store as a “lifeline” for numerous Americans living in food deserts, where access to healthy food options is severely limited.
With more than 20,000 locations across the United States, Dollar General holds a significant presence, especially in Georgia, which ranks second for the number of stores in the state. The electronic protest aims to leverage technology to advocate for the reinstatement of DEI initiatives and to address systemic racism entrenched within Dollar General’s corporate culture.
Bryant has garnered support from over 50 Black churches nationwide, which are helping to mobilize participants for this campaign. This collaborative effort signifies a collective voice pushing for change within the corporate structure of Dollar General. The campaign seeks to influence the company’s practices and policies without withdrawing essential support from the communities that depend on Dollar General for their daily needs.
Earlier this year, Bryant’s boycott against Target began during Lent and evolved into an indefinite blackout of the retailer. This decision was made in response to the perceived neglect of community interests by Target, which has reportedly experienced a notable decline in sales that the company has acknowledged could be linked to the boycott.
As part of the protest, Bryant has called for Dollar General to invest in Black-owned vendors and establish a community reinvestment fund, which would contribute to building stronger connections with the communities the store serves. While the company has publicly stated its commitment to providing affordable essentials and serving rural populations, the ongoing protest aims to foster accountability regarding its corporate responsibility and engagement with diverse communities.
As the electronic protest unfolds, it remains to be seen how Dollar General will respond to the pressures and demands from the community, as well as the potential impact on its corporate practices moving forward.
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