Target faces 40-day boycott for ending DEI programs as Trump tariffs take effect

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A 40-day boycott against Target is beginning today as activists and customers express their disapproval of the retailer’s decision to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The boycott starts at the beginning of Lent, a Christian observance that occurs in the 40 days before Easter during which participants typically give up something they enjoy. Jamal Bryant, a reverend in Atlanta, has been calling on “conscious Christians” to participate in the boycott alongside LGBTQ+ and Black communities.

“We’re asking people to divest from Target because they have turned their back on our community,” Bryant told CNN on Tuesday ahead of the boycott.

Target issued a memo in January announcing the end of its three-year DEI goals, including its Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) program and “all external diversity-focused survey’s including HRC’s Corporate Equality index.” The Human Rights Campaign effort, which provides benchmarks on corporate policies relevant to LGBTQ+ employees, previously gave Target a score of 100 percent, dubbing the company a “Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.”

The end of DEI programs and LGBTQ+ inclusivity initiatives marked a significant shift for the Minnesota-based company, which once…

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