Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, renowned minister, author, and former political candidate, who is currently leading a major boycott against Target, will be the special guest speaker at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Saturday Morning Forum, “From Standing to Mobilization: Answering the Call,” on April 5, 2025. This event will commemorate the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis, a significant milestone that serves as a reminder of the unfinished work he left behind and the ongoing need to mobilize action to continue his legacy.
Dr. Bryant, the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta area, is a prominent advocate for justice and equality for people of color. He is leading a robust national consumer boycott against Minneapolis-based retail giant Target, criticizing the company’s neglect of the Black community and its decision to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion program. The purpose of this boycott is to hold Target accountable for its actions and to push for a more inclusive and equitable business model. According to Dr. Bryant, the boycott, which began on March 5 and concludes on April 17, has mobilized over 150,000 participants and persuaded more than 100 Black vendors to withdraw their products from Target. This movement, he said, has resulted in a $12 drop per share of Target’s stock and a $2 billion decrease in its overall value.
The forum will take place at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Headquarters, located at 930 E. 50th Street, Chicago, IL. The program details are as follows:
· 9:00 AM – Breakfast (Free for Members)
· 10:00 AM – Forum Begins
In addition to Dr. Bryant, the event will feature several distinguished guests, including:
- Mayor Brandon Johnson
- Grammy-Winning Artist J. Ivy
- Congressman Jonathan Jackson (D- 1st Congressional District of Illinois)
- Moderator: Yusef D. Jackson, COO of Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Dr. Bryant’s powerful message will resonate with the Rainbow PUSH community as it urges those in the struggle to move from standing still to standing strong, mobilized, unified, and resolved.
“Dr. King’s dream is becoming a nightmare,” Dr. Bryant said. “Much of what we accomplished in the civil rights movement is being dismantled. We’ve got to take a stand. Chicago, meet me at Rainbow PUSH on Saturday morning for the broadcast with Rev. Jesse Jackson. It is a critical moment for America, where we define where we are. Like Senator Cory (Booker) (D-N.J.), we have to take a stand no matter how long it takes. Stand with me this coming Saturday at Rainbow PUSH. The revolution will not be televised. It is going to be live-streamed.”
Yusef Jackson, the event’s moderator, emphasized the significance of this forum: “We are commemorating the assassination of Dr. King, but we are mobilizing not just in the name of his work, but to answer the call of this moment – be it tariffs, the rising cost of food, immigration, the dismantling of our justice system and civil rights, human rights and diversity, equity and inclusion advancements. It is all these things, and Dr. Jamal Bryant is one of the influential voices in the spirit of Dr. King, who is helping us build a powerful national network to continue in the fight for civil rights and economic justice.”