Madness

Why You May Be Feeling Particularly Betrayed by Target’s Choice to End DEI

In mid-January, in response to Trump’s White House executive order, Target Inc. announced that it would rescind its commitment to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts. For many, this felt like a gut punch.

I’m old enough to remember when shopping at Target was an embarrassment. A contemporary of K-Mart, often situated in low- to middle-income neighborhoods, it was a poorly lit hovel with cheaply manufactured goods strewn across the floor. Employees were generally unwilling to assist dissatisfied customers, and the brand seemed on the brink of collapse. Then, sometime around 1999–2000, someone at corporate had a wake-up call. Target underwent a full rebrand: aisles were widened, merchandise improved in quality while remaining competitively priced, and the entire aesthetic was revised. Shopping at Target became an experience—one that marked a certain level of middle-class success. Black people, ever trendsetters, even elevated its name with the faux-French pronunciation: Targée.

Unlike Walmart, which retained its working-class reputation and was notorious for putting mom-and-pop shops out of business, Target began to feel like the older, rich auntie who moved into the neighborhood to improve the community. The brand aligned itself with cultural titans like Oprah and Ellen—two icons helmed by Black and queer women, respectively—becoming an eager sponsor of their shows. Black people are fiercely brand-loyal, and there’s no denying that Black approval is a stamp of cool. This dynamic allowed cheap-chic lines like Isaac Mizrahi’s to thrive at Target, creating a symbiotic (some might argue parasitic) relationship between a high-fashion world that often excluded Black and middle-class consumers and a demographic eager to participate in higher-end sartorial choices.

Target didn’t need to make proclamations of inclusivity. As far as we were concerned, it was already doing the work. That’s why their about-face on DEI has stung and stunned so many.

Like scores of American corporations, Target made public declarations of support for DEI initiatives in the wake of George Floyd’s murder—a public execution that horrified and galvanized the nation. In 2020, I, like many of you, watched as corporate leaders scrambled to issue tepid statements in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, hoping to demonstrate their anti-racism. It felt performative at the time, and now those suspicions have been vindicated.

I recall sitting in the background of a call with one of my husband’s clients, where they asked him and another contractor—the only two Black employees on staff—what kind of public statement they should make in response to the killings of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. My husband and his colleague advised them that no public statement was necessary; their commitment to anti-racism should be evident in their work practices, not in empty PR gestures. Thankfully, the client took their advice, sparing themselves the indignity of posting black squares on Instagram and Facebook.

Target could have taken a similar approach, but I doubt they consulted a Black woman. Now, they find themselves in a quandary, transforming from a once-beloved brand into one of the most vilified and hated.

It’s important to ask: Why does a particular segment of America have such disdain for DEI? Why do the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion provoke such palpable rage? Are people of diverse backgrounds not American?

The short answer to that last question is no—at least, not in the eyes of “real Americans.”

To many, “real Americans” (read: white people) consider anyone who is not Caucasian and straight as an anomaly to be tolerated at best, or a tool to further white capitalist ambitions at worst. The argument that DEI undermines meritocracy is a smokescreen; DEI—and its predecessor, Affirmative Action—were necessitated precisely because America has a long history of locking out qualified individuals from academia, industry, and leadership solely based on race. That’s why the adage “Black people have to be twice as good to get half as much” exists. A white man could afford to be mediocre and still “fail up” because he embodied the dominant culture. When forced to compete with minorities—including white women—some found that they could no longer coast. DEI made America stronger, and now that strength is being stripped away.

Implementing DEI provided historically excluded groups with broader access to influential political and economic circles—much like the feeling of shopping at the newly revamped Target for the first time. The rollback of DEI has been likened to the dismantling of Reconstruction after the Civil War, a sentiment I fully agree with. Once again, the powerful are retracting hard-won progress, using corporate compliance to reinforce systemic exclusion.

Companies like Costco and Apple have stood their ground against right-wing pressure, refusing to abandon their values and commitment to diversity. Target had the same opportunity but chose instead to show its true colors. The reality is that Target never held these values at heart in the first place. Once again, the veil has been ripped away, and Black people have been reminded that our cultural impact and spending power are merely stepping stones for corporate greed.

This betrayal has sparked widespread calls for a boycott of Target. However, there is division within the Black community about how to approach it. Some argue for a complete boycott, refusing to spend any money at the retailer, while others propose selectively supporting Black-owned brands stocked in Target stores to continue uplifting Black entrepreneurs. There are no easy answers…there is never are where activism is involved. This debate highlights the thorniness of corporate accountability and economic activism in a system that continually exploits Black consumers while relying on their loyalty.

So, if you are one of the millions of Black and LGBTQ+ consumers feeling betrayed by Target’s decision, know that your anger is justified. You are not alone.