Target is the latest company to roll back some DEI programs

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 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.