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Black-owned brands urge shoppers not to boycott Target

Some boycott advocates suggest shopping from Black-owned businesses, but founders emphasize reaching millions of weekly Target shoppers.

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NEW YORK—Black entrepreneurs and influencers are urging consumers not to boycott Target, which has ended its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The Minneapolis-based company announced the move on Friday, prompting backlash from labor advocacy group We Are Somebody and a Minneapolis city council member, who called for a boycott aimed at hurting Target's sales and discouraging it from profiting from minority-owned brands.

However, Black-owned businesses warn that such a boycott would harm them more than Target.

"If we all decide to boycott ... so many of us will be affected, and our sales will drop—our businesses will be hurt," said actress Tabitha Brown, whose kitchenware line is sold at Target, in an Instagram post.

Target has yet to respond to calls for a boycott.

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A post shared by Tabitha Brown (@iamtabithabrown)

As part of its prior inclusivity efforts, Target set a goal in 2022 to invest over $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by 2025 and feature more than 500 Black-owned brands in its stores. The company has stated that it is on track to meet these goals.

April Showers, founder and CEO of Afro Unicorn, a toy, apparel, and home goods brand available at Target since 2022, urged consumers to be strategic with their spending rather than boycott the retailer.

"Target is about money," she said, speaking to Reuters. "They're not going to remove our products if they're performing well, so we're saying—support Black-owned brands at Target."

She and others warn that a boycott could lead to Black brands losing shelf space and online visibility, ultimately reducing their market reach.

"If you don't buy our products at Target, they will cancel us from their shelves and make us buy back the products they already purchased from us," the Black-owned doll brand Beautiful Curly Me posted on Instagram.

While some boycott advocates suggest shopping directly from Black-owned businesses' websites, many founders emphasize the importance of reaching the millions of shoppers who visit Target stores each week.

"We have dolls on our website, but having them in mass retail stores gives us a different kind of visibility and helps us expand," Beautiful Curly Me said.

On Monday, Target's website featured Black-owned beauty and personal care brands, including actress Tracee Ellis Ross's Pattern hair products and Gabrielle Union-Wade's Proudly baby care line, in anticipation of Black History Month.

Target first launched its DEI initiatives following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and the killing of George Floyd. These efforts included career advancement programs for minority employees, supplier diversity initiatives, and ensuring stores were welcoming to LGBTQ, Black, Asian, veteran, and disabled customers.

"This is a break in trust with customers who believed in their efforts," said Tamala Barksdale, managing partner at brand consultancy 360 Agency. Critics argue that the retailer's commitment to DEI helped attract a younger, more diverse consumer base—one that may now feel alienated.

Recently, DEI efforts have faced increasing political pushback. The Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action and policy rollbacks under former President Donald Trump, who ordered an end to federal diversity programs, have contributed to shifting corporate priorities. Other major companies, including Walmart, Meta, and McDonald's, have also scaled back DEI initiatives.

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