Retail giant Target has become the latest major American company to scrap its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) initiatives following President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
The move to end DEI policies was revealed in a new memo made public on Friday.
Target will now be joining large companies ending DEI initiatives, including Walmart, McDonald’s, and Meta, among others.
The change means the company will be ending DEI goals that had been planned for the next three years.
According to CNBC, chief “community impact and equity officer” Kiera Fernandez said in an internal memo sent to staff on Friday:
“Many years of data, insights, listening, and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy.
“And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future – all in service of driving Target’s growth and winning together.”
Reuters reports that the company pledged in 2022 to invest more than $2 billion in black-owned businesses by the end of 2025 as part of its REACH goals.
Target also had goals of adding more than 500 black-owned brands and increasing exposure of diverse-owned brands through paid media, the outlet noted.
Target will no longer focus on diversity when choosing suppliers.
Target will also stop reporting to external diversity-focused groups like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
In 2023, the retailer came under fire for marketing a line of Pride-themed merchandise.
The products include items like “tuck-friendly” female swimming suits for children.
The merchandise was in prominent displays at the front of Target stores.
Other products in its “Pride Collection” included small shirts with phrases like “Just Be You And Feel The Love,” Pride-themed onesies, as well as rainbow-colored leggings, tutu skirts, and jumpers.
The products were marketed at young children and even babies.
Following widespread backlash and boycotts, the Pride collection for 2024 was much smaller than the previous year.
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck said a Target representative confirmed that the company would not market Pride merchandise to kids going forward.
WATCH:
MASSIVE news: Target is ending many of their woke policies. I can now exclusively tell you what’s changing and how it happened.
Recently executives @Target found out I was doing a story on wokeness there. When we learned they were prepared to make changes, we shifted our focus… pic.twitter.com/4R7tGIn5Fk
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 24, 2025
These changes come just days after Trump placed all federal DEI officials on paid leave.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said:
“President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit-based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin.
“This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds.
“Promises made, promises kept.”
While major companies are abandoning DEI initiatives, others are digging in their heels.
Costco announced on Friday that its shareholders overwhelmingly rejected an anti-DEI proposal.
The company’s chairman, Hamilton “Tony” James, issued a statement regarding the decision to keep DEI as part of the company’s goals, saying:
“We owe our success to the more than 300,000 employees who serve our members every day.
“It is important that they all feel included and appreciated and that they transmit these values to our customers.”
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