Actress and entrepreneur Tabitha Brown is reminding people that support is a verb, despite discourse around her words. On Tuesday, May 20, the 46-year-old author and internet personality took to Instagram to speak out once again about the ongoing Target boycott, this time emphasizing its negative impact on Black authors. She urged her followers to support these writers, who need their backing now more than ever.
In a recent video showcasing her New York Times best-seller plaque for her book, “Hello There, Sunshine,” Tabitha reflected on fellow authors who’ve been affected by the Target boycott.
“Target is a huge book retailer; they sell our books, but because of the boycott, many of our Black authors’ books don’t sell well because people weren’t purchasing their books at Target. The bigger issue is that it also affects the next deal opportunity for them to write another book with their publisher.”
She then encouraged people to hold up their end of the bargain and patronize the authors directly, like they said they would with other Black Target sellers.
“They’re being affected by this, something that they did not do,” said Tabitha. “I just want us to be mindful that we’re truly being supportive, also to the publishers, please don’t look at the numbers right now and think that these are their sales, this is not a true reflection of their fan base.
I hope and pray that the buyers, the editors, and the publishers, I hope you all are considering that and still give your authors another opportunity.”
As you can imagine, people had lotssss to say, with some alleging that she was trying to “guilt” people into purchasing books from the realtor.
Not so, said Auntie Tab.
In response to the backlash, she posted a video doubling down on her support for fellow Black creatives impacted by the controversy.
“This is my prayer for you,” said the star, who currently sells a plethora of cookware, home goods and food products at Target. “I pray that love finds you, true love. I pray it finds you and it holds you tight. I pray that someone will love you enough to see you, to see you when you are not well, to see you when you need true support, to see you when you need compassion, to see you when you need kindness,” she continued. “I pray that somebody loves you enough to sacrifice their life for you. I pray that type of love finds you so that you can understand.”
Brown directed her message toward critics and what she called “uneducated” social media users who have been attacking her online over the issue. In her caption, she made it clear that no amount of backlash would stop her from using her voice and platform to uplift and support Black-owned businesses.
“There is no amount of hate and ignorance that is going to stop me from using my platform and my voice to support and uplift small businesses, Black-owned businesses, Black content creators, Black authors,” she wrote. “Take it up with God because he gave me my voice, he blessed me with a platform, and I’m going to use it.”
She also posted a follow-up message urging her social media users not to fight about her thoughts on abstaining from the Target boycott.
“I don’t mind being attacked. I’m often misunderstood. God has trusted me with this journey. I see people fighting over my videos and that isn’t what I desire,” she wrote in part. “We are in a battle already and the last thing we should do is fight each other. That’s what they want. My heart is for people! In this climate, my heart is heavy for my people. My intention is never to hurt anyone…”
How Much Did Target Lose?
After President Trump’s push to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, in January, major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target scaled back their initiatives, prompting a 24-hour economic blackout on Feb. 28 in protest.
Although the boycott spearheaded by activist organization The People’s Union USA had only a modest impact on Amazon’s sales, it hit Walmart and Target much harder. According to USA Today, Walmart saw a notable decline in digital engagement: website visits fell by 6.5%, from 11.9 million on the previous Friday to 11.2 million on February 28, and app usage dipped by 2.5%, sliding from 13.9 million to 13.6 million.
Target fared even worse in some respects. While its website traffic only saw a slight drop of 1.0% (from 4.8 million to 4.7 million), its app usage plunged 10.9%, falling from 3.9 million to 3.5 million users. On top of that, Seattle Medium reported a substantial financial impact, with Target’s market value shrinking by approximately $12.4 billion.
Brown Spoke Out On The Target Boycott In January
Brown was one of the first to urge the public to think twice about the Target boycott, noting that many Black-owned businesses, already grappling with financial hurdles in sales and growth, could be unintentionally harmed.
“As disheartening as it is for me, I am not the only one affected by this,” Brown said in an Instagram video shared on Jan. 25. “If we all decide to boycott and be like, ‘No, we’re not spending no money at these organizations,’ listen, I get it. And if that’s how you feel, honey, I get it,” she said. “But so many of us will be affected. Our sales will drop, our business will be hurt.”
She also noted the high cost of holding unsold inventory, along with the challenge of securing new retail partners willing to carry the products. Brown warned that a boycott would give retailers an excuse to claim that Black-owned and minority-owned brands weren’t performing, potentially leading to those products being pulled from shelves and replaced permanently.
What do you think? Is Tabitha Brown telling it like it is?
