WASHINGTON ‒ Black faith leaders called on pastors to urge their congregations Sunday to join a 40-day boycott of Target in a campaign to push back against companies that have ditched diversity initiatives.

“We've got to tell corporate America that there's a consequence for turning their back on diversity," said Bishop Reginald T. Jackson. “So let us send the message that if corporate America can't stand with us, we're not going to stand with corporate America.”

The campaign is one of several by civil rights groups, faith leaders and others to target companies they say have retreated from diversity initiatives after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government.

Trump has defended these efforts, saying hiring and other practices should be based purely on merit.

Diversity advocates counter that these programs benefit everyone by removing bias from hiring and promotions to ensure that everyone has an equal shot at success.

Target was one of several companies to roll back its DEI initiatives after Trump signed the order. Some had begun scaling back efforts earlier.

The faith leaders launched the boycott campaign at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historic Black church in Washington, D.C. The boycott would begin March 3 on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent and a 40-day period of prayer and penance leading up to Easter.

“If our diversity is not good, our money isn’t good,” Jackson, bishop of the AME Church’s Second District, told hundreds Monday at Metropolitan.

'The consumer can make a choice'

In recent weeks, several groups announced efforts to support companies that continue their DEI programs, such as Costco. Others have called for boycotts against companies that have rolled back programs, including Target.

The National Action Network, a civil rights organization, set up a commission to look at stores where many Black consumers shop, but which have rolled back DEI initiatives. Findings will be released April 4, the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.

More:Trump promises to make King's dream a reality, as some rally to defend civil rights

Last weekend, the NAACP announced its Black Consumer Advisory, urging its members to support Black-owned businesses and shop with companies that commit to DEI initiatives.

National civil rights leaders called for a meeting with congressional lawmakers to discuss concerns about Trump’s diversity rollbacks.

“There's no law that says they have to get rid of (diversity efforts),'' said Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "They're doing this because it's easier for them to get along with this administration. They're making a choice and in making that choice they decided that they would get rid of the DEI programs. The consumer can make a choice as well and they can decide not to buy from the corporation.''

Selective buying has been effective as a form of protest and where people spend their money in a capitalist system can force companies to act, said Browne-Marshall, author of “A Protest History of the United States.”

"When it's hitting their pocketbooks, their pockets and they're losing money, they will make change," she said.

After the 2020 killing of George Floyd by police, DEI initiatives gained momentum, from casting a wider net for new hires to supporting more Black- and women-owned businesses. 

Trump supporters have slammed the DEI programs, calling them part of the “woke’’ culture and have tried to pressure companies to follow the administration’s lead to end them.

In recent years, anti-DEI boycotts have been effective, including one against Target, which scaled back its Pride merchandise and moved some displays from the entrances to the back of stores.

Some companies have eliminated positions that focused on diversity and others have cut back pledged investments in Black-owned and minority-owned businesses.

Target did not return repeated calls for comment for this story.

Advocates for DEI are pushing back.

“We come today to say that America seems to be taking a detour away from democracy, not just a detour, but a hard turn away from it," said William Lamar, pastor of Metropolitan AME.

Earlier this month, a Washington D.C. judge barred the Proud Boys, a group known for its role in the Jan. 6 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, from selling merchandise using its name or symbols without permission from Metropolitan. The ruling allows the church to seize money that the group makes through “any sale, transfer, disposition, or license of the Proud Boys Trademark.”

More:Historic Black church takes on Proud Boys and wins: 'We want to see more victories'

The church sought action after the Proud Boys failed to pay on an earlier $2.8 million judgment for damaging a Black Lives Matter sign outside the church. The church hopes to use the attention to address issues, including DEI.

Jackson criticized corporate executives for "kissing up" to Trump by eliminating DEI programs.  

The boycott, he said, will "make sure that our money doesn't go in their pockets."

Contributing: Jessica Guynn