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 said Friday that it would join rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back 

 initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, 

The Minneapolis-based retailer said the changes to its “Belonging at the Bulleye” strategy would include ending a 

 to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote 

 nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set 

The goals included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups, and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities.

In a memo to employees, Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, as a “next chapter” in a decades-long process to create “inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all.”

“Many years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy,” Fernandez wrote in the memo, which Target shared Friday. “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.”

There's no doubt the U.S. civil rights landscape has undergone a massive transformation in the five years since 

 that followed Floyd's death in Minneapolis.

A 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions emboldened 

conservative groups to bring or threaten lawsuits

 targeting corporate initiatives such as employee resource groups and hiring practices that prioritize historically marginalized groups.

 that reduced or phased out their DEI commitments in recent months.

President Donald Trump this week signaled his administration's agreement with conservatives who argue that policies designed to increase minority representation by considering factors such as race, gender and 

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending DEI programs across the federal government. The order calls for 

, policies, preferences and activities, along with the review and revision of existing employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs.

Unlike some of the companies retooling or retiring their diversity initiatives, Target's work to 

 predated 2020, and the company also was long seen as a trailblazer with respect to LGBTQ+ inclusion.

But the employee memo shared Friday said Target no longer would participate in surveys designed to gauge the effectiveness of its actions, including an annual index compiled by the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ rights organization. Target said it would further evaluate corporate partnerships to ensure they’re connected directly to business objectives, but declined to share details.

Getting corporations to withdraw from the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index and to stop sponsoring Pride activities have been goals of DEI opponents.

Steering clear of a backlash from conservative customers and organizations is something that Target has tried to navigate for a while. As transgender rights became a more prominent issue in 2016, the company declared that “inclusivity is a core belief at Target” and said it supported transgender employees and customers using whichever restroom or fitting room “corresponds with their gender identity.”

But after some customers threatened to boycott Target stores, the company said that more stores would make available a single-toilet bathroom with a door that could be locked.

 some of its Pride Month merchandise after 

 and in-store confrontations that the retailer said threatened employees’ well-being. The company decided last year not to stock 

Still, some prominent companies have resisted public pressure to retreat from their diversity plans. On Thursday, 

 shareholders rejected a proposal urging the wholesale club operator to evaluate any risks posed by its 

According to preliminary results shared by Costco executives, more than 98 percent of shares voted against the proposal submitted by a conservative think tank based in Washington. Costco's board of directors had recommended a no vote.

The Associated Press

Author

The Minneapolis-based retailer says it’s joining rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Target is ending its diversity goals as a strong DEI opponent occupies the White House

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