Target is scaling back its diversity efforts amid growing political pressure. In letters to two newspapers, Anne and Lucy Dayton, daughters of company co-founder Bruce Dayton, expressed alarm at the company’s recent DEI rollback. They stated that their father believed in clear principles of happy customers and strong communities.
Bruce Dayton was a key figure in growing his family’s Minneapolis department store into a national brand. In 2023, CEO Brian Cornell said that DEI initiatives were “the right thing for society” and would benefit the company’s brand.
However, after Cornell made this statement, the company began removing LGBTQ+ pride merchandise from its stores. This move followed conservative activists who campaigned against the celebration. Some companies are now quietly removing references to DEI from their communications.
The Dayton sisters argue that Target and others are undermining the principles that have made their companies successful by cowering under pressure. A proposed class-action shareholder lawsuit has also been filed against the company, alleging it made false statements about its DEI strategy’s impact on its financial results.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/target-dei-rollback-alarms-cofounder-daughters-letter-2025-2