‘People Go Too Far’: Tabitha Brown Flooded with ‘Hate Messages’ After Calling Out Black Authors’ Struggles Amid Target Boycott
Tabitha Brown is choosing to address “uneducated hate messages” with love. The social media sensation with more than 13 million followers across digital platforms issued a word to those who have disavowed their support for her in a video posted to Instagram on May 20.
The vegan influencer prayed that love would find those who have turned their back on her.
“I pray that someone will love you enough to see you when you are not well. To see you when you need true support. To see you when you need compassion,’ said Brown, adding, “I pray that somebody loves you enough to sacrifice their life for you. I pray that type of love finds you so you can understand.”
She doubled down in the caption with statements like “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… I’ve been doing this for 8 years and I ain’t stopping now!”
Her words incited a flood of responses from critics who rejected any support for Target, regardless of her Buy Black appeal. “She just doesn’t get it!” one person wrote. Another accused her of using kindness to mask guilt, saying, “Ok, give up the perfect act already — it’s getting old.”
A third added, “She really is sickening to me. Bottom line it’s hurting HER bottom line. She is not worried about these smaller brands.”
Some came to Brown’s defense, insisting people are missing the large point of her message.
Offering clarity, one said, “All she said was there are black authors at Target…. and that you can support them by purchasing their product directly from them rather than at Target.”
Another noted, “I’m not going back to Target, ever. But I’m also not going to leave negative comments in a random person’s DMs. Ppl go too far.”
The message to detractors came months after she initially spoke out about Target rolling back its DEI initiatives.
Tabitha is still trying to guilt people into shopping at Target. It’s really nasty with that lady.
— perfume&prose (@Brieyonce) May 22, 2025
The NAACP Image Award winner still stands behind telling followers to continue to support Black businesses at the retailer, but that if they chose to boycott, she also understood their decision.
“I know that the businesses that have worked so hard to get into retail spaces, I know that they’re suffering right now,” Brown told Parade in April. She addressed the ramifications the social movement has on Black authors in a separate May 20 post.
“Because of the boycott, many of our Black authors’ books did not sell well,” added “America’s Mom.” She said the effects exceed sales and have impacted publishing deals.
“I want us to be mindful— I know that we say that there’s a boycott happening. Give us a direct link so we can support you. Please do support… We gotta be mindful of that,” she pleaded.
Brown is among the many Black and minority entrepreneurs in business with the corporation. Her deals have seen her reap success with food, kitchen, and office supplies, games, and clothing since 2022.
Her books, including her latest, “Hello There, Sunshine,” made The New York Times Best Sellers Children’s list in March. Still, someone remarked, “This is all Target’s fault. Not ours.”
But the naysayers were outnumbered by those who defended the Emmy-winning actress. “Y’all gonna learn to stop it with Ms. Tab Brown,” a fan commented. A second follower typed, “The prayer she sent after Wendy should have taught y’all.”
Wendy Williams was given a similar kind clapback about finding love when she suggested Brown’s husband, Chance, would become unfaithful as her star rose.