Rev. Al Sharpton Meets with Target CEO Amid Growing Backlash Over DEI Rollbacks

Target CEO Brian Cornell met Thursday with Rev. Al Sharpton, who’s been vocal about U.S. companies scaling back their DEI initiatives.

Sharpton called the conversation “very constructive and candid,” according to a statement from his National Action Network (NAN). NAN Board Chair Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson and Senior Advisor Carra Wallace also joined the meeting, held at NAN’s New York headquarters.

“I am going to inform our allies, including Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, of our discussion, what my feelings are, and we will go from there,” Sharpton stated. Bryant, a Georgia pastor, launched targetfast.org to organize a 40-day Christian boycott of Target during Lent, with backing from other faith leaders.

REV. SHARPTON ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER MEETING WITH TARGET CEO BRIAN CORNELL AT NAN CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS THIS MORNING pic.twitter.com/z4AwKVnRMA

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) April 17, 2025

A NAN spokesperson confirmed Thursday’s meeting, initially reported by CNBC.

Target is among several major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and PepsiCo, that have pulled back diversity-focused policies. In January, Target said it would end DEI goals related to Black employee advancement and consumer experience, and it stopped participating in external diversity surveys. The company added it was “further evaluating our corporate partnerships to ensure they are directly connected to our roadmap for growth.”

Earlier this month, Sharpton gave PepsiCo three weeks to meet or face a boycott. That meeting happened Tuesday, with Sharpton seeking “clarity on its stance on DEI” amid political pressure.

Over Easter, Sharpton said he’d consult NAN’s board “to determine any next steps with Target, PepsiCo, and other companies that have scaled back their DEI programs or pledges.”