Racial justice group leaders called for a national boycott of Target during a rally Thursday in front of the offices of the Minneapolis-based retailer.

Target announced last week that it would end its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and investments. The initiatives include a program it established aimed at helping Black employees build meaningful careers, improving the experience of Black shoppers and promoting Black-owned businesses, following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong said the boycott against Target will begin on Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month.

She said they believe Target phasing out DEI programs is “completely unacceptable.”

Levy Armstrong, who had her 7-year-old daughter Assata Armstrong by her side, said the group believes that “this decision was not made independently by Target, but it was made as a result of the pressure that is coming from the White House and the administration under Donald Trump.”

“They acted cowardly, and they made the decision to bow down to the Trump administration when we are here today, saying we will not bow down,” Levy Armstrong said.

She added that different ethnic groups and races make up the “fabric of America and our presence in this country should be embraced.”

She and others at the event urged people to shop at businesses that are committed to DEI efforts.

Another rally speaker, activist Sheletta Brundidge, also addressed the crowd with her daughter by her side. She said the community shouldn’t have to wage battles repeatedly.

“I don’t want to fight the same fight that my grandmother fought in. I don’t want my daughter to be out here with Nekima’s daughter in 20 years fighting the same battle. Which is why we have to make our voices heard now,” Brundidge said. “We have to create lasting change, and we have to stop shopping at Target.”

The announcement from Target follows an executive order by President Donald Trump to end federal DEI programs.

Target said in its next chapter, they will continue to create “inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all.”

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“Many years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy,” Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, wrote in a memo to employees, which Target shared Friday. “As a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future.”

Nekima Levy Armstrong said the company “didn’t understand that its decision was not only offensive, but it’s bad for business.”

Akshay Rao, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota, agrees. He told MPR News that ending DEI programs could alienate customers.

“Choosing to not incorporate those points of view is going to limit their ability to cater to those people, and that will have an effect not only because those people will go elsewhere but because competitors will then leap into the fray and say, ‘hey come talk to me. I’m friendly to you,’” Rao said.

In response to Target’s announcement, Twin Cities Pride removed the company from its June LGBTQ+ festival.

“The community is just very disappointed that someone like Target, who has been a staple in our corner for so many years, has made this decision and not made the decision to stand up against those who are fighting against us,” said Twin Cities Pride executive director Andi Otto.