Boycotts over Target? DEI reversal hurt Target? business.
On January 24, days into Donald Trump? presidency,Target announced it was eliminating hiring goalsfor minority employees, ing an utive committee focused on racial justiceand making other changes to its diversity initiatives. Target said it had a newstrategy called ?elonging at the Bullseye?and the company remained committedto ?reating a sense of belonging for our team, guests and communities.?Targetalso stressed the need for ?taying in step with the evolving externallandscape.?
But the decision angered supporters of diversity andinclusion policies, who felt blindsided by Target. Target had been a championof diversity initiatives and LGBTQ rights. Customers online protested Target?decision and Anne and Lucy Dayton, the daughters of one of Target?co-founders, called the company? actions ? betrayal.?
Target faced a 40-day consumer boycott during Lent led byRev. Jamal Bryant, a prominent Atlanta-area megachurch pastor, over its DEIrollback. Protestors picketed outside Target headquarters in Minneapolis andother Black leaders such as Rev. Al Sharpton supported boycott efforts.
Target came under more pressure than other companies thatrolled back DEI policies because Target had gone further in its DEI efforts,and it has a more progressive base of customers than those competitors.
On CNN on Wednesday evening, Bryant said that though Targetwas the first business targeted, it wouldn? be the last. He said he is awareof more than 17 companies that have rolled back DEI initiatives.
?nother company is going to be coming on the radar thenext couple of weeks,?he said.
Target was a leading advocate for DEI programs in thebusiness world in the years after George Floyd was murdered by police in thecompany? home city of Minneapolis in 2020. Target also spent years building apublic reputation as a progressive employer on LGBTQ issues.
