Rev. Jamal Bryant’s 40-Day Boycott of Target Leads to 8th Consecutive Week of Decreasing Foot Traffic

Alright, let’s talk Target and how a recent decision from this retail giant has sparked some serious controversy and foot traffic decline. Now, just to bring you up to speed, Target, just a few months back, vowed to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments, a move that initially seemed like a stepping stone for Black and minority-owned brands to obtain their fair share of shelf space. But now, it seems like all that took a backflip.

The power structure at Target has changed hundreds of playbooks, thus breaking the much-respected commitment. And here’s the stinger—Target won’t be submitting updates or reports to any external organizations that keep an eye out for diversity. It’s almost like they’re putting the brakes on transparency. Kiera Fernandez, Target’s Chief Community Impact and Equity Officer, told NBC News that years of collected data, insights, and observations were what influenced this decision. According to Ms. Fernandez, staying synchronized with the always-evolving market is key to Target’s growth.

But pause for a moment and ask, what’s the big picture here? Well, seem that Target isn’t alone in shaking things up. Walmart has already checked race and gender off its list of determining factors for handing out supplier contracts, and McDonald’s also pulled the plug on a similar accord.

So, why should this matter? Well, it matters because this could potentially limit the opportunities available to underrepresented communities to get a chance in the commercial world. I believe that if we don’t shine a light on such decisions now, we may end up redefining the term ‘inclusive’ to ‘exclusive’. Trying to make sense of it all? Hang in there, because we need to keep the conversation going. After all, change begins with dialogue, doesn’t it?