Pastor Jamal Bryant On Asian Business Boycott, Black Spending Power

Pastor Jamal Bryant is once again at the center of a consumer-activism debate after responding to a viral social media video mocking calls for a boycott of Asian-owned businesses.

According to Black Enterprise, the controversy began after an Asian content creator posted a video challenging Black Americans to stop supporting Asian-owned businesses. In the clip, the creator argued that Black consumers rely heavily on Asian-owned products and services, including nail salons and dry cleaners, as well as electronics, automobiles, and retail goods. He also suggested that Asian communities would be largely unaffected by a boycott because they do not depend on Black consumers to the same degree.

The post quickly gained traction, with supporters and critics debating whether a boycott would be effective or productive. Some users viewed the video as an insult that exposed longstanding tensions between Black and Asian communities, while others argued that the moment should be used to encourage entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency rather than deepen divisions.

The debate emerged against the backdrop of another highly publicized controversy. Calls to boycott some Asian-owned businesses intensified following the acquittal of South Carolina convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow in the fatal 2023 shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton.

Several activists have used the viral moment to push discussions beyond anger and toward institution-building. Bryant and rapper-activist Mysonne have both encouraged supporters to invest in Black-owned businesses, support Black-owned banks, and circulate money within their own communities.

Online conversations that began with a boycott debate quickly expanded into larger discussions about ownership, wealth creation, and the challenges Black entrepreneurs face when competing in established markets.

The latest controversy also follows Bryant’s highly visible role in the nationwide “Target fast” and boycott movement. That campaign, which lasted more than a year, sought to pressure Target over diversity and equity commitments.