By Brinda Patel
Staff Writer
After the Trump administration enacted an executive order to remove diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the workplace on Jan. 21, several prominent corporations have announced plans to scale back from their respective DEI initiatives.
Target released an announcement about phasing out many of its DEI initiatives as of Jan. 24, including its Racial Equity Action and Change committee, which is a part of the company’s goals, according to AP News.
Target’s hiring goals included promoting women, minorities and underrepresented communities. The company’s removal of DEI also affects Black owned businesses, which Target previously aimed to elevate.
The Target Corporation issued a section on their website, stating that the company advocates for all levels of government and pledged $10 million to social justice initiatives after George Floyd’s death in 2020. In 2021, the company had pledged to spend over $2 billion to advance Black-owned businesses by 2025, as well as create scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
In May 2024, Target decided to scale back from displaying Pride Month-themed collections in all of its stores following the previous year’s conservative backlash and threats over the merchandise, according to NPR.
Target’s announcement has blindsided many people and their decision has sparked widespread outrage among customers. According to Targetfast.org, Rev. Jamal Bryant from Atlanta organized a 40-day “Target Fast” on March 5 to protest Target’s decision to end its DEI programs and commitments that supported people of color. This boycott was deliberately launched during the first week of March, as it coincided with the start of Lent. The same day, Bryant told The Washington Post that about 110,000 people signed up to participate in the boycott.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, told the NAN on Jan. 21 to boycott any and all companies failing to uphold DEI initiatives. He also announced that the NAN would conduct a 90-day study and pick two specific companies to undergo consumer boycotts for removing their DEI efforts.
A marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Americus Reed II, said that boycotting large chains like Target or Walmart can be distressing for consumers with fewer options to shop, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Reed recommends “buycotts,” which means only buying products made by Black-owned businesses that are stocked by the retailers.
“We're gonna ask everybody in this country – Black, White, Brown, gay, straight, woman, trans – don’t buy where you are not respected,” Sharpton said to members of a crowd at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Donald Trump can’t make us buy your stuff. The Senate can’t make us buy your stuff. In the name of Dr. King, we're gonna do what Dr. King did.”
On Feb. 8, a class action lawsuit was filed by the City of Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund against Target, alleging the company failed to warn them about the negative financial impact its DEI policies would have on its shares, reported the Atlanta Voice. As a part of their Belonging at the Bullseye Strategy, Target had set some DEI goals, including Racial Equity Action and Change Initiatives, and the Human Right Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index in a three-year cycle. According to The Atlanta Voice, shareholders are now seeking money to cover the damages of periods spanning from Aug. 26, 2022 to Nov. 19, 2024.
Many loyal Target customers are flocking to Costco due to the company’s commitment to DEI. According to Forbes, during “Economic Blackout day” on Feb. 28, Target’s website visitors declined by 9%, while Costco’s web traffic increased by 22%.
