New York
CNN
—
Target is joining a wave of US companies pulling back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as right-wing pressure leads companies to alter their commitment to hiring diverse candidates and expanding access.
Target said in a statement Friday that it will end its three-year diversity, equity and inclusion goals. In 2022, the company said that those goals included ensuring “equitable access to career advancement” and “equitable business decisions that increase relevance with diverse guests and support economic inclusivity.” Target had also committed in 2020 to expand Black representation at the company by 20%.
But Target and other companies are dialing back their commitments to expand representation to diverse groups in response to pressure from right-wing activists, lawsuits from conservative legal groups, demand from conservative-leaning customers and other factors.
Target also said Friday that it will stop participating in all external diversity-focused surveys, including a popular one from the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group. And it is “further evaluating” corporate partnerships and changing its “supplier diversity” team to “supplier engagement.”
How significant these changes are and the impact they will have is not fully clear, and Target said that it remained committed to creating a “sense of belonging” for its employees and customers “through a commitment to inclusion.”
“We recruit and retain team members who represent the communities we serve and fuel a culture where everyone has access to opportunity and growth,” Target said in the statement.
Target’s moves reflect a shift from its previous policies and statements.
Target CEO Brian Cornell defended Target’s diversity initiatives in 2023. “I know that focus on diversity and inclusion and equity has fueled much of our growth over the last nine years,” he said. “I’m really proud of the work we’ve done in the DE&I space.”
But DEI has become a dirty word on the right. DEI is generally a mix of employee training, employee resource networks and recruiting practices to advance representation of different races, genders and classes, people with disabilities, veterans and other underrepresented groups.
Amazon, Meta, Walmart, McDonald’s and others have recently changed or ended their DEI programs.
President Donald Trump this week also placed employees in any federal diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility offices on leave, and the Trump administration plans to take further aim at diversity programs.
Target’s statement Friday appeared to nod to the current political enviornment.
“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,” Kiera Fernandez, executive vice president and chief community impact and equity officer, said in a note to Target staff.
Companies standing behind DEI
Some companies are standing firmly behind their diversity efforts, such as Costco and Apple.
Costco shareholders this week voted strongly against a proposal from a right-wing organization requesting a report on the risks of maintaining its diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Costco said its DEI efforts help the company attract and retain a wide range of employees and improve merchandise and services in stores. Costco also said its members want to interact with a diverse employee base.
“Among other things, a diverse group of employees helps bring originality and creativity to our merchandise offerings, promoting the ‘treasure hunt’ that our customers value,” Costco said in its proxy statement to investors.