When Carlton Mackey, founder of the apparel brand Black Men Smile, decided to support a boycott against retail giant Target after the retailer announced rollbacks to its diversity initiatives, he wasn’t sure what would follow.
“I don’t want to be in a friends-with-benefits relationship with Target,” Mackey said when declaring his stance on Target’s diversity rollbacks during an interview with a local TV station.
Mackey’s decision to support a boycott against the retail giant marked a pivotal moment for his apparel brand. It became a test of character that would define the next chapter of his business.
“This moment calls for definitive action,” Mackey said during the interview that went viral on social media.
His stance came after Target announced it was scaling back commitments made following George Floyd’s murder, including funds for Black-owned businesses, initiatives supporting Black employees’ advancement, and research into enhancing the shopping experience for diverse communities.
“2024 marked our 10th anniversary,” Mackey said, coinciding with their entry into Target.
The partnership had propelled Black Men Smile to new heights, with products sold in 1,900 stores nationwide and a national tour visiting Oakland, New York City, and Washington, D.C., alongside his business partner and director of narrative media, Jeremiah Griffin. When asked if his independent success has surpassed what he achieved with Target, Mackey offered a nuanced response.
“If you consider success building a community around ideals and principles that are core to your values and your brand, and having people in an unbelievable way show up and support your mission — 100%,” he said. While acknowledging the financial numbers haven’t quite matched Target’s distribution power, he noted, “The trajectory that we’re on, it can easily surpass it.”
Mackey’s stance offers an alternative perspective to other Target patrons, such as Tabitha Brown, who encourages buyers to continue supporting Target as a way to uplift the brands that rely on the retailer for broader exposure.
“Tabitha Brown emphasized that boycotting could impact some of the brands involved if we boycott,” Mackey said.
Prior to the controversy, Black Men Smile had never independently released a Black History Month collection.
“After saying we weren’t going to do anything else with Target, we decided that we were going to launch our own—for the first time—Black History Month collection line independently,” Mackey explained. “We don’t have distribution from Target. They’re rolling back their DEI. It’s just us. We all we got,” he added.
Mackey noted that this phrase became the name of their collection. Without a detailed marketing plan, the decision to move forward with their own designs and production unexpectedly positioned the brand for its current wave of community support and success.
The turning point occurred during a Feb. 9 New Birth Missionary Baptist Church service. Pastor Jamal Bryant unexpectedly spotlighted Mackey before thousands of congregants, emphasizing his previous presence in Target stores and encouraging church members to support the brand.
The congregation’s response was overwhelming. Church members purchased Mackey’s inventory — approximately 100 T-shirts, 50 hoodies, and 40 joggers. Online orders flooded in from New Birth’s global streaming audience.
“Nothing has been the same since that moment,” Mackey said. “Our Instagram follower growth, our social media growth, our sales, our emails, our well-wishes — there is a before and an after New Birth.”
The fallout from Target’s diversity rollback has triggered significant financial consequences for the retail giant. Target’s stock had fallen approximately $27.27 per share by the end of February, erasing about $12.4 billion in market value, according to BlackpressUSA. The decline coincided with a designated economic blackout day on Feb. 28 and growing calls for boycotts.
Pastor Bryant’s call for a “40-Day Target Fast” highlighted the potential impact of Black consumer spending power, estimated at $12 million daily at Target alone.
For other Black-owned brands contemplating similar decisions, Mackey advised: “Make sure that whatever decision you make for your business and your brand, you are able to live with that decision and your conscience longer than the money will last.”