Target is ending its diversity goals, joining other major companies scaling back DEI programs
discount chain store Target It said on Friday it would join rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, the White House.
The Minneapolis-based retailer said changes to its “bullseye attribution” strategy will include closing the plan it made Helping Black employees build meaningful careers, improving the Black shopper experience, and promoting Black-owned businesses in the wake of police killings of Black people george floyd 2020.
Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it has plans to end race-based programs this year. The company said Friday it will also meet diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals previously set over a three-year cycle.
Those goals include hiring and promoting more women and members of minority groups, and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities.
Target has long been a vocal advocate for the rights of Black and LGBTQ+ people. Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, said in a memo to employees that this is the first step in a decades-long process of creating “an inclusive work and guest environment that welcomes all.” Next chapter”.
“Years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping the next chapter of our strategy,” Fernandez wrote in the memo shared by Target on Friday. “As a retail company that serves millions of consumers every day As a business, we understand the importance of keeping pace with the changing external environment now and in the future.”
There is no doubt that the U.S. civil rights landscape has undergone a dramatic shift in the five years since many U.S. businesses adopted DEI targets in response to Black Lives Matter protests following the death of Floyd in Minneapolis.
In 2020, Target committed $10 million to social justice initiatives and rebuilding areas of the Twin Cities damaged by riots. At the time, Target leaders said they Wants to increase black workforce by 20% the next three years.
A 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions has emboldened conservative groups to sue or threaten lawsuits over corporate initiatives, such as employee resource groups and hiring that prioritize historically marginalized groups practice.
Walmart, McDonald’s, Ford, harley davidson, John Deere In recent months, well-known consumer brands such as Lowe’s and Lowe’s have reduced or phased out DEI commitments.
President Donald Trump said this week that his administration is in agreement with conservatives who believe that policies aimed at increasing minority representation by taking into account factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation are unconstitutional.
Trump signed one on his first day in office Executive Order to End DEI Programs Within the Federal Government. Trump administration officials said the order cuts funding for so-called DEI programs across all agencies in an effort to “end DEI within the federal government.”
A memo issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management late Tuesday called on all federal DEI employees to be furloughed by Wednesday evening.
Unlike some companies that have reorganized or eliminated diversity programs, Target began working to create a more inclusive workforce as early as 2020, and the company has long been viewed as a trailblazer in LGBTQ+ inclusion .
But an employee memo shared on Friday said Target will no longer participate in surveys designed to measure the effectiveness of its actions, including an annual index compiled by the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ rights group. Target said it will further evaluate corporate partnerships to ensure they are directly related to business goals, but declined to elaborate.
Getting companies to withdraw from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and stop sponsoring Pride events has been a goal of opponents of DEI.
Target has long tried to avoid backlash from conservative customers and organizations. As transgender rights became a more prominent issue in 2016, the company declared that “inclusivity is a core belief of Target” and said it supported transgender employees and customers using restrooms or fittings “that match their gender identity” between.
But after some customers threatened to boycott Target stores, the company said more stores will offer single-toilet bathrooms with lockable doors.
In 2023, Target faced an anti-LGBTQ campaign that went viral on social media. The event Threats to employees, and there was some damage to products and displays In the store. In response, Target removed some of the items it said elicited the most “volatile” reactions from opponents.
The company is not stocking stores with Pride Month products in 2024.
Still, some high-profile companies have resisted public pressure and abandoned diversity plans. Costco shareholders on Thursday rejected a proposal to urge the wholesale club operator to evaluate the risks posed by its diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
According to preliminary results shared by Costco executives, more than 98% of the shares voted against the proposal submitted by a conservative think tank in Washington. Costco’s board of directors recommended a vote against it.
