Black entrepreneurs and influencers are urging consumers not to boycott Target after the retailer announced it would end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. The move sparked backlash from labor advocates and Minneapolis officials, with calls for a boycott to pressure the retailer.
However, Black-owned brands say a boycott would harm their businesses more than Target. Actress Tabitha Brown, whose kitchenware line is sold at Target, warned that lost sales would hurt minority-owned brands significantly.
Target previously committed over $2 billion to Black-owned businesses by 2025 and aimed to feature more than 500 Black-owned brands. Founders like April Showers, CEO of Afro Unicorn, urged consumers to continue buying Black-owned products at Target, emphasizing that strong sales are key to maintaining shelf space.
“If you stop buying our products at Target, they’ll drop us,” Beautiful Curly Me, a Black-owned doll brand, noted on Instagram. Founders added that retail presence provides visibility that smaller businesses can’t achieve alone.
Target’s website continues to promote Black-owned brands ahead of Black History Month, including Tracee Ellis Ross’ Pattern hair products and Gabrielle Union-Wade’s Proudly baby items.
DEI efforts, which gained momentum after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, sought to address structural inequities. But many U.S. companies, including Target, Walmart, and McDonald’s, have scaled back such initiatives amid political and legal shifts.
Critics argue Target’s decision alienates the younger, diverse audience it sought to attract, with some calling it a “break in trust.” Advocates are urging consumers to remain strategic with their spending to support minority-owned brands.
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