Target will roll back some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, joining a growing list of corporations that have given in to pressure from conservatives and followed the lead of President Donald Trump, who has vowed to “abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion nonsense.”
On Friday, the discount retailer said in a news release it will adjust its “Belonging at the Bullseye” strategy by “implementing changes with the goal of driving growth and staying in step with the evolving external landscape.”
As part of the shift, Target will conclude its three-year DEI goals, rebrand its “supplier diversity” team as “supplier engagement,” and discontinue its participation in external, diversity-focused surveys, including the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, a prominent benchmarking tool for LGBTQ-inclusive corporate practices.
The retail giant, which operates a total of nearly 2,000 stores, including in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, also announced plans to phase out the company’s Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) initiative.
Launched in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd killing, REACH was announced as part of the company’s “steadfast commitment to stand with Black families and fight against racism.”
The program was designed to create a workspace where Black employees could “build meaningful careers and experience success at every level” and to help advance Black-owned businesses.
In a memo sent to employees on Friday, Kiera Fernandez, the company’s chief community impact and equity officer, said the shift in policy represented Target’s “next chapter” in a decades-long process to create “inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all.”
It’s the result of “many years of data, insights, listening and learning,” she added.
Early last year, Target announced that fewer of its stores would carry LGBTQ-themed merchandise for Pride Month, a move that followed a conservative-led boycott.
The move, slammed as “disappointing” by LGBTQ leaders, was minimized by a Target spokesperson, who told the Daily News the company remained “committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round.”