Last week, Target, a staple in every budget-bougie Black girl’s diet, made a complete 180 and released a statement that essentially said it would be turning its back on DEI initiatives, specifically ones with targeted outreach for Black business owners and the LGBTQIA community. While other companies like Walmart and McDonald’s have also done the same thing, the news from Target comes as a particularly harsh blow. In fact, part of Target’s brand was being the anti-Walmart, a company that does not even care about its own employees, let alone its customers. Target branded itself as hip and inclusive, the new wave, a cool place to hang out—so to see it fall from such illustrious heights is nothing short of disappointing.
While many have stated that they would be boycotting the large chain, others are concerned that the boycott will hurt Black-owned businesses that have deals with Target, which inevitably will, but are they more important than the collective message? While understanding people wanting to boycott, Tabitha Brown also countered that the boycott would hurt the Black brands in the store, and that would keep Target from bringing those brands back, so instead, she urged people to simply buy those products and nothing else.
The one problem with that is Target would still get rewarded in this scenario.
While Ms. Tabitha seems like a wonderful person, she is not known for speaking about political matters, and more importantly, she is still far more well-off than the people she is asking to continue to buy those products. There is nothing about those businesses or her business that should be put in front of the collective issue. Boycotts are not supposed to be convenient, and most importantly, are not supposed to be inconvenient for everyone except the people who can make money. The problem with this potential boycott is that it is so fragmented, with few retailers not rolling back DEI initiatives.
The blow from Target was the most unexpected and felt like the greatest betrayal. Boycotts are hard but they work and are most effective when targeted and organized. There were many racist businesses and institutions that deserved to be boycotted during the Civil Rights Era, but boycotting just one changed the course of history. Even though the Montgomery buses were not the only rides in town, they were absolutely the biggest artery for transportation for Black people. The boycott worked because of collectivism. Hell, people would walk their feet through the soles of their shoes just to keep from riding a bus, but somehow, staying away from a store, even if for nothing more than a few weeks, is an insurmountable inconvenience. Because so many of these retailers fall short of humanity, maybe the best bet would be only going to these stores if it is undeniably essential and there are no other alternatives available at the time; maybe Tab was on to something but for necessities, not potholders.
So basically y'all want Tabitha Brown to break her contract and risk getting sued By Target.
— My Crown Has Been Paid For (@PoeticJusticeK) January 26, 2025
Like she said in that video it's not always that simple. If you go support her and other black business then do it, if not then please shut the entire fuck up. pic.twitter.com/lGFH70bRjH
Target informed Black people that they were no longer the Target audience and for that, they deserve every bit of suffering for missing the mark. Of course, not everyone is on board with the boycott. Many Black people have made fun of others who are rightfully upset at the company making such a huge deal about Black inclusivity just to turn its back on those same initiatives that continued to bring so many Black people through their doors.
There is no logical reason for their smugness, but also Harriet couldn’t save everybody—and you know why.
