BlackLent Series Calls for Economic Action

Justice 4 The Next Generation (J4TNG), led by Rev. Gregory Drumwright of Citadel Church in Greensboro, wrapped its eight-week BlackLent Series on April 17 with a full day of powerful panels, activism, and calls for economic justice. The series, rooted in Black economics and consumer-driven activism, mobilized communities through weekly gatherings at Black churches across Greensboro, featuring Black-owned businesses and social justice conversations.

J4TNG, founded in 2018 following a controversial redistricting decision that split North Carolina A&T State University’s campus into two voting districts, continues to advocate nationally for criminal justice reform, healthcare equity, fair housing and voter rights.

The BlackLent finale began with a town hall at the Downtown Greensboro Marriott, where national civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined a high-profile panel that included N.C. Sen. Natalie Murdock (D-Durham), attorney and commentator Bakari Sellers, N.C. A&T professor Leah Harper, and Rev. Verenander Hughes of Genesis Baptist Church in Greensboro.

Panelists addressed the national backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, current legislation in North Carolina, and broader systemic injustice.

“DEI and affirmative action policies that opened the boardrooms, hiring portals and classrooms –they were the cheapest forms of reparations the country has ever offered us. It didn’t give us a leg up, it only gave people a chance to get in line with everyone else,” said Rev. Drumwright.

Crump and Sellers, who are representing the family of Tyrone Mason, a man killed in a 2024 N.C. State Highway Patrol chase, highlighted the urgency of sustained activism.

“The cost paid by Black folks to survive has been too high,” said Sellars, using the 1965 march on the Edmond Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where Black voters were violently attacked for marching for the right to vote, and George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer as examples.

“Every ounce of change in this country has come through Black bloodshed in the streets,” said Sellers. “And now we’re fighting to keep DEI policies that never gave us a leg up—only a fair chance. The rules are the same, yet we still show up and overperform. This attack is not new. It’s been happening for years.”

Sen. Murdock warned attendees of anti-DEI bills advancing in the N.C. General Assembly and the elimination of the state’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) office, which was established to promote economic opportunities for businesses owned by minorities, women and other historically disadvantaged groups by ensuring their fair participation in state procurement and contracting processes.

“This is the Civil Rights Movement of our time. It’s time to get activated,” she urged. “No one is safe from anti-DEI.”

N.C. Senate Bill 227 would ban public schools from engaging in “discriminatory practices” or teaching “divisive concepts” to students; and N.C. Senate Bill 558 would do largely the same for institutions of higher education. Both bills have been passed through the Senate and have been referred to the House. N.C. House Bill 171 would eliminate DEI in state and local agencies and ban the use of any state or public money for DEI-related programs or initiatives.

Professor Harper acknowledged the impact anti-DEI is having on HBCUs, and emphasized the importance of community-based education in the face of attacks on African American studies:

“African American history is under attack. We must continue to teach our history—even if we have to do it outside the classroom,” she said.

Following the conclusion of the BlackLent Series town hall, members of Justice 4 The Next Generation (J4TNG) led a spirited march from the Greensboro Marriott to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (ICRCM), where a press conference was held to deliver a long-awaited announcement.

Attorney Ben Crump and Rev. Gregory Drumwright formally shared that Tenicka Smith, mother of Fred Cox Jr., had been awarded a $4 million civil settlement from a lawsuit filed against the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and one of its deputies.

The lawsuit, settled in January 2025, stemmed from the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Cox in November 2020. Cox was attending a funeral at Living Water Baptist Church in High Point when he was shot and killed by a plainclothes deputy, an incident that sparked public outrage and years of advocacy from Smith and community leaders.

As attendees gathered for the press conference, many joined in a solemn chant: “Fred should not be dead,” a reflection of the nearly four-and-a-half-year legal fight for justice.

Rev. Drumwright detailed the significance of the moment and its setting:

“We are in the International Civil Rights Museum – the home of justice. Where the sit-ins started over 50 years ago, and where the work in Greensboro, North Carolina is still churning out justice. We are here because after Fred was made out to be a common criminal; after he was shot in the doorway of a church attending a funeral, he was made out to be a gang member and was allegedly said to have a weapon and he was there to weaponize his presence. It was all a lie.”

“They tried to say that Fred was responsible for his own lynching,” he added.

Crump, who served as the Cox family’s lead attorney, praised Smith’s determination and courage.

“Tenicka refused to let Fred’s death be in vain. This is an historic justice,” Crump said. “They will not define the legacy of Fred Cox. We will decide the legacy of Fred Cox.”

Speaking through tears, Smith expressed deep gratitude to those who stood beside her and her family during their fight.

“I want to publicly thank everyone who stood behind me and my family. Fred was not just my baby —he was my only baby,” she said. “I did not give up. I fought, I didn’t sleep, and sometimes I slept too much. I literally lost my mind. But I did not give up.”

Smith also suffered a personal loss following the case. After learning that the deputy involved would not face criminal charges, Fred’s father passed away, a death Smith attributed to profound heartbreak.

“And after all that I’ve been through, I would still stand with any mother, any family, to make sure they get justice as well. This fight isn’t just mine, it’s ours,” she said.

Deena Hayes-Greene, a board member of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, commended the legal victory, but emphasized the ongoing nature of the struggle.

“This isn’t just something that we need to remember as just history, because 65 years later, we find ourselves back in the same place. People aren’t trying to whitewash history, they are trying to erase history,” she said. “This is a call to action. To not stay silent while others are risking their lives for your freedoms and your future.”

The BlackLent Series concluded Thursday evening with a spirited, revival-style finale at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where music, ministry, and a powerful message of economic justice brought together leaders and congregants from across the Triad’s Black faith community.

The closing event featured remarks from local and national voices committed to continuing the fight for racial equity beyond the season of Lent.

CJ Brinson, a Greensboro community organizer and pastor at Umoja Church, reminded attendees that the momentum built by BlackLent must continue beyond Easter.

“This is the city of struggle and resistance,” said Brinson. “We’re going to continue to fight for police accountability, for the funding of education, and for affordable housing that’s not just focused on the Eastside.”

The evening’s keynote address was delivered by Pastor Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia. Bryant, a leading voice in this national movement for Black economic empowerment, centered his remarks on the power of the Black dollar and the importance of sustained economic action.

Referring to ongoing efforts to suppress diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, eliminating Black history curriculum, and limiting economic opportunities in Black communities, Bryant urged the audience to remain focused and undeterred.

“At the end of the day, a bump in the road is just an uneven surface,” he said. “What was meant to stop you is not going to stop you—it’s just going to slow you down.”

Bryant’s message also served as a call to expand the Target boycott, which he launched as a 40-day economic “fast” during Lent. The campaign was created in response to Target’s rollback of its DEI initiatives and has since gained national traction, now extending beyond Lent into an indefinite boycott.

“They don’t mind you preaching or making speeches,” Bryant told the crowd. “But once you make an economic impact, then it becomes a problem. And that’s when you know things are getting ready to shift.”

Since the boycott began, reports indicate that Target’s stock value has dropped from $138 to $94 per share, and store foot traffic has decreased by 7.9 percent. Bryant told attendees the company has already seen a financial impact, estimating a $4 billion loss in value.

On the morning of April 17, Bryant met with Target executives in Manhattan. He said the company agreed to fulfill one of four campaign demands: completing a previously announced $2 billion investment in Black-owned businesses, including products, services, and Black media buys.

However, Bryant said the company declined to meet three additional demands: depositing $250 million into Black-owned banks, restoring DEI policies, and establishing pipeline community centers at 10 HBCUs to promote careers in business retail and entrepreneurship.

Despite the partial concession, Bryant said the boycott would continue.

“This is our Montgomery moment,” he said. “We are not just making noise—we are shifting power.”