To be young, gifted, and Black is a beautiful thing. Our voice, our beauty, and our creativity has contributed to many innovations and advancements we’ve seen in society and the world. However, to be any one of these qualities in the aforementioned statement, is unfortunately a threat, and the recent changes in the United States administration won’t let us forget it. Since his second term at the oval office started in January, President Trump decided to overturn diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, starting in the federal government. “Billions of dollars are spent annually on DEI, but rather than reducing bias and promoting inclusion, DEI creates and then amplifies prejudicial hostility and exacerbates interpersonal conflict,” the White House said in a statement justifying their decision.
This rash move has empowered companies including Amazon, Walmart, and everybody’s favorite — Target, to pull back or completely obliterate their DEI initiatives. On Jan. 24, the “Expect More, Pay Less” retailer announced plans to end its diversity goals that would directly increase Black employees’ advancement, promote representation, and of course, amplify Black-owned businesses.
Since the announcement, many consumers have been left feeling confused. Target is the number one-stop-shop for all shopping categories, from groceries to beauty. More importantly, it’s host to 100+ Black-owned or founded brands. The company’s decision has prompted some shoppers to boycott, which is more than understandable. Who would want to give their hard-earned dollars to a company that doesn’t even value the color of your skin? As of today, a 40-day boycott over the brand is in effect following a nationwide economic blackout alongside additional mega corporations. Forbes reported that Target experienced an 11 percent drop in foot traffic in its stores and a 9 percent decline in web traffic. Target has recently reneged this decision, but this backtrack doesn’t make us feel any better, especially since they were so quick to forsake their commitment to equity after the 2020 racial reckonings.
Although pulling your money from Target is more than merited because of this cruel decision, it might hurt the Black businesses we know and love even more. Melissa Butler, who’s founder of The Lip Bar took to Instagram to urge supporters to shop the brand in a way that feels most comfortable for them, while bringing awareness to one simple fact: “If you boycott shopping in these stores, you will directly impact the hundreds of Black-owned, brown-owned, and women-owned brands that are at Target.”
If you want to continue furthering the success of the retailer’s Black-owned brands, we’ve curated a list of companies to support now and beyond.
