Target announced that it is ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Some shoppers have decided to boycott.
Target rolls back DEI
Target, once a long-standing corporate leader in DEI, announced Friday that it would end its commitments to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, CBS News reported.
That includes no longer working toward hiring more women and members of racial minority groups, ending a program established to help Black employees build impactful careers, and no longer actively recruiting diverse suppliers and businesses.
These efforts don’t just impact people of color and LGBTQ+ people but also women, veterans, and people with disabilities.
This is the same company that just a few years ago stated, “The need for social justice is undeniable, and we’re committed to using Target’s size, scale, and resources to create positive change.”
The same company profited off of LGBTQ+ merch during Pride month and pledged to take action after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police of the very city where the corporation is headquartered.
“Many years of data, insights, listening, and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy,” Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, wrote in a memo. “And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future.”
Shopper fights back
In a viral video with more than 830,000 views, pastor Beryl Cowthran (@revdrcoachbee) shared what she’s doing after Target’s announcement.
In the TikTok, Cowthran shows that she has bags and bags of Target merchandise, and “all of it has got to go back.”
She walks into the store, returns the items, and lets the corporation know, both by telling the employees and filling out the survey, that she was making the returns because of Target’s new stance on DEI.
“Just shopped with them yesterday, but since their little DEI decision that they made? Hmmmm. People like me don’t shop there,” Cowthran says. “If I’m not good enough to work there and be respected and regarded the way that I should be, then guess what? I don’t spend my hard-earned money there.”
Should you boycott Target?
This is a decision you’d have to make for yourself.
On one side, some minority-owned businesses have expressed that if people stop buying their products from Target, it’ll ultimately hurt their businesses and give numerical evidence to Target that their products aren’t worth stocking.
But others say that the bigger picture is sending Target a message that if they don’t care about marginalized communities, those same communities will hit them in the only place that’ll hurt them: profits.
Boycotts are part of a long history of social and economic activism used to hold corporations accountable for their actions. Consider what your goal would be if you do or don’t boycott and consider shopping directly from minority-owned brands.
Commenters react
“Simple. I don’t buy where I can’t apply!” the top comment read.
“Thank you Queen, standing on Business….new follower,” a person wrote.
“It’s aldis from now on,” another said.
@revdrcoachbee #byetarget🎯 #dei #deuces #equality #equity #diversity #diversityandinclusion #inclusion #inclusionmatters #diversitymatters #equalitymatters #equitymatters #economy ♬ original sound – Beryl Cowthran
The Daily Dot reached out to Cowthran for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Target via email.
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