Rainbow PUSH calls for boycott against Target as annual "People's Conference" begins
As the Rainbow PUSH Coalition kicked off its annual People's Conference on Thursday, leaders encouraged people to fight growing threats to justice and equality, and defend civil rights.
Top of mind was a demand for corporations to keep in place diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, or restore policies they have scaled back or dropped entirely since President Trump took office and took aim at DEI programs.
The conference's theme is "A Call to Action." It's meant to underscore the need for resistance against threats to civil rights.
"I think we've never had here what we face here before," Rainbow PUSH chief operating officer Yusef Jackson said.
Jackson's father and founder of the organization, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, was also in attendance.
Yusef Jackson told those gathered the gains made during the civil rights movement are now under threat.
"The very executive order that authorized the Civil Rights Act, Donald Trump wrote an executive order to overthrow or to undermine or to rescind," he said.
The title of the opening luncheon at the conference was Rebuilding America Through Coalition.
"We're gathered together across race, religion, across ethnicities, across party lines even. There are Democrats here and there are Republicans here. We've crossed all kinds of economic lines, all together based on common ground, because we want a better society for our future," Yusef Jackson said.
Rev. Ira Acree, from Greater St. John Bible Church in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, was among those attending.
"In our community, faith leaders are influencers, and these faith leaders can inspire their congregants and people in the community to participate in protest. In this particular climate, if we don't stand together all of the particular accomplishments and all of the civil rights that we acquired back in the 60s will be rolled back," Acree said.
Also on the agenda for the first day of the PUSH conference was a protest outside the Target store on State Street in the Loop, led by the Rev. Jamal Bryant. The Atlanta-based pastor spearheaded a national boycott against Target after it decided to do away with its DEI initiatives days after Trump took office.
"This has been the most effective boycott for Black people in 70 years; since the Montgomery bus boycott. When we started, Target's shares were a $145 a share, it's now down to $93 a share," he said.
Bryant said he hopes Target finds some resolution to reinstate DEI policies soon. Meantime, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition People's Conference takes place through Saturday.
