Civil rights activists gathered outside Target Corp.’s headquarters to call for a national boycott of the retailer after it scaled back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The decision has sparked outrage among activists, who point out that Target increased its commitment to building a diverse workforce in 2020 following George Floyd’s murder.
Levy Armstrong, a veteran civil rights lawyer, said the company acted “cowardly” by backing down from its support of racial equity. She urged people to begin the boycott on Saturday, the first day of Black History Month, and emphasized that the movement would not back down.
The boycott is led by local Black Lives Matter groups and includes supporters who plan to shop at Costco, which reaffirmed its commitment to DEI last week. Activists also criticized long-established civil rights groups that have benefited from Target’s philanthropy for not joining the opposition.
Despite the backlash, some business owners who sell their products in Target stores or online expressed concerns about a broad boycott. However, activists argue that consumers can continue to support those businesses while cutting Target out by buying directly from them on their websites.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/target-diversity-equity-inclusion-minneapolis-civil-rights-850701b0126bd9417dd488c72f5f8a81