Minneapolis (AP) – Civil rights activists gathered outside the headquarters of Target Corp. Diversity, equity and inclusion Initiatives.
Target Announced last Friday that he would join the competitor Walmart and a number of other leading American brands by reducing their Dei initiatives, which have been attacked by the Conservatives and the new White House of President Donald Trump.
Nekima Levy Armstrong, A veteran lawyer for civil rights In Minneapolis and founder of the Racial Justice Network, joined other local activists and their supporters at a press conference to urge people to start boycott on Saturday, the first day of the month in black history. Many participants were regular target buyers so far, she said.
Levy Armstrong said they were “stunned” from this target, which increased his commitment to develop a more diverse workforce in the aftermath of the day George Floyd Killing police, A black man, in Minneapolis in 2020, moved away from his support for racial equity.
“We thought they would hold the line. We thought they would continue to defend the values that we will all hold a expensive, “she said. “But instead, they acted loose and made the decision to bow before the Trump administration. Well, we are here today by saying that we will not bow. We will not take a step back and we will not return. »»
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota section of the Islamic-American Relations Council, said that A company based in the city Where the murder of Floyd triggered a national calculation With racial injustice, the target must be called.
“We here in Minneapolis today, the good people of the state, we say to our friends from all over the country:” If you were moved to do something well after the murder of George Floyd, it’s time for you To get up and boycott Target ” said Hussein.
Boycott organizers include local black matter groups. During the boycott announcement, some speakers cut their distinct red target expenses, while others called the supporters of Dei to shop at Costco, who reaffirmed his commitment to Dei last week.
Despite the anger against Target, the press conference that has become a spurry took a festive atmosphere, with a New Orleans style brass group playing protest songs like “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley. The participants turned to a prayer before the start of the speeches.
Target, which has long been considered an ardent defender of the rights of black people and LGBTQ +, did not immediately respond to a comment request Thursday on the call to a boycott. But in a service note to employees last week, Kiera Fernandez, head of the Target chief community, described the company’s decision to withdraw its diversity objectives as a “next chapter” in the human resources strategy and the company’s customer commitment.
“And as a retailer who serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in line with the evolving outdoor landscape now and in the future,” she wrote.
Levy Armstrong said Target had not contacted her or other local black managers. She said they expected more Target, and now have the impression that everything he had done to support people of color was only window residents. The starting point for any conversation, she said, would be that the company immediately reverses its decision.
“Target knows what is his presence and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for this community,” said Levy Armstrong. “This is why we focus first on the target. But that does not mean that these other companies should not also be responsible. All these companies should be held responsible and they should not have access to our dollars. »»
Speakers have also called upon long -standing civil rights groups that have benefited from Target’s philanthropy, such as NAACP and the Urban League, to join the opposition to Target’s decision. Levy Armstrong and Hussein said they planned to associate themselves with other national organizations to make the boycott known and take other measures, they were not yet ready to share publicly.
Since calls to a boycott began to circulate on social networks, the founders of several companies belonging to blacks who sell their products in Target stores or through the online platforms of the company have expressed their concern that ‘A large boycott could hurt them. They included owners of the hair care brands The Doux and Camille Rose and the Lip Bar of the Cosmetics brand.
Minneapolis organizers have said that black consumers and their white allies can continue to support these companies while reducing the target.
“We ask people to go to their websites and buy directly from these black companies, because Target will not see a single of our black dollars,” said Levy Armstrong.
