Introduction
Though Target has contributed some resources to help the Black Community, my biggest problem with Target is that it is not adequately transparent. In particular, Target has no record on its website of what percent of the promised $2 billion spending to Black Businesses, Target has actually spent to date that I could find on its site as of March 2, 2025. That is something Target should have included in the January 25, 2025 announcement on DEI and other matters. To me it is okay if Target need more reasonable time past 2025 to meet its goal; it just needs to say that openly and give the new plan.
Though Target was right to pursue some form of EEO including adding a DEI component to its EEO goals. Yet, it like other companies errored in actively promoting LGBTQIA+ products as no company has a public or private obligation to promote and/or support any form of ungodliness such as LGBTQIA+. Target can give them jobs and let them have bathroom usage without legitimizing their wicked behavior. So those who are rebuking Target for its behavior is right to do so. Target should pursue proper EEO and Supplier Diversity based on male/female and race and ethnicity capturing such statistics and goals but not on sexual orientation for LGBTQTIA+ should be required to identify as either male or female as a matter of Target leadership integrity. To the best of my knowledge Congress nor the Supreme Court has said anybody has to accept the wicked so “genderless” terminology LGBTQIA+ has created and try to push on people who seek to live by godly standards.
Target is being sued by a shareholder and the Floriday AG for its push of LGBTQIA+ products and being boycotted by civil rights groups for its scaling back its DEI activities.
Target Corporate
Target Corporation was founded in 1962 in Minneapolis Minnesota and is still headquartered there.
Top Leadership According to Target.Com As of March 2, 2025
So after all the DEI initiatives from 2020 to2024 as of March 2, 2025 Target Top Leadership Demographics consisting of a One (1) Chair/CEO and sixteen (16) Executive Vice Presidents for a total of 17people are as given above and below. Notice there are Zero (0) Black Americans:
CEO: White Male
Six (6) Males and Eleven (11) Females
Males: Five (5) Whites and One (1) of Color from India
Females: Nine (9) Whites, One (1) Asian, and One (1) Hispanic of Color
The March 2025 outcome of Target 2020 announced commitment to the Black Community is an outcome of Zero (0) Black Americans in the Top 17 members of CEO and Executive Management. This is one major reason I believe former President Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and staffs should have used their then power including her tie-breaking vote in the Senate to enact enhancement to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Authorizing Acts/laws. Such enhancements should have encouraged and rewarded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion outcomes not just rhetoric to include contracting and outsourcing at Federal, State, Local, and Private/Corporate for-profit and not-for-profit businesses. If that had been done President Trump would not have had the power to roll back righteous DEI initiatives at least not as quickly as he has done. But when the former administration did it all under Executive Orders then all should have and probably did not the next Republican President would use Executive Orders to reverse things disagreed with.
Now let us consider the fact that Target was envisioned to be a family oriented store not a female-only oriented product line. Therefore, why does the number of females almost double the number of males in the top 17 management tier. Well, I suggest it is because of the attitude and actions that have led to both Affirmative Action and DEI initiatives lifting up White Women with a dab of non-White women here and there at times more than Black Men and Black Women and other historically oppressed groups.
Target 2016, 2020 – 2024 DEI Overview
On April 16, 2016 Target announced its support for the White House Equal Pay Pledge
On May 25, 2020 George Floyd died in Minneapolis during an encounter with local police in Minneapolis Minnesota. This led to nation-wide protests against police specifically and injustice (whether actual and perceived) against Black America in general.
In response to events surrounding the George Floyd incident, in 2020 Target essentially announced it would focus on improving its support to the Black Community and other communities who have historically faced societal imposed obstacles that have caused large scale lack of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DEI) in various aspects of society.
On May 29, 2020 Target announced several measures to support the Minneapolis-St. Paul community in the wake of the murder of George Floyd
Though not necessarily related to the events surrounding George Floyd, on June 17 2020 Target announced an increase starting wage to $15/hour. This certainly was a much needed positive change that enhanced the purchasing power of minority workers at Target as well as all low-income workers.
On April 7, 2021, Target announced its commitment to spend $2 billion dollars with Black owned businesses by the end of 2025. Update Part 1 Update Part 2 — Problem is Target has no record on its website of what it has paid out to Black Businesses in dollar terms that I could find as of March 2, 2025. That is something they should have included in their January 25, 2025 announcement on DEI and other matters.
On June 11, 2021 Target acknowledges Juneteenth as an official annual company holiday; the announcement also included information about Additional Progress from Target’s Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) Committee
Target announced on December 9, 2020 that in June 2020, Target committed $10 million and ongoing resources to advance racial equity and social justice to include continued support to partners such as the National Urban League and the African American Leadership Forum.
On May 2, 2023 Target issued an announcement discussing its relationship with Tabitha Brown as part of its continuing support for Black Owned Businesses as part of its REACH Committee initiative.
On May 24, 2023 Target issued a statement on its 2023 Pride Collection. A large scale campaign against Target pursued. From 2023 Target Stock Price went from On February 20, 2025 Florida AG sued Target for misleading shareholders over the risk of the LGBTQIA+ collection, etc.
On September 15, 2023 Target discusses its support for Latino Heritage Month through various products.
On May 31, 2024 Target explains why it support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round through various products.
Target Perceived as Stopping Its DEI Initiatives
On January 24, 2025 Target announced that in 2025 it is concluding that initiative. However, the wording in the announcement is rather non-specific and lacks clarity being open to multiple self-serving interpretations.
The report says “Our team: We recruit and retain team members who represent the communities we serve and fuel a culture where everyone has access to opportunity and growth, enabling our team to deliver business results.”
The report says “Throughout 2025…We will continue to monitor and adjust as needed. Current actions include:”
Example of such current actions listed in the report are:
- Concluding our three-year diversity, equity and inclusion goals
- Concluding our Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) initiatives in 2025 as planned.
- Stopping all external diversity-focused surveys, including HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
- Evolving our “Supplier Diversity” team to “Supplier Engagement” to better reflect our inclusive global procurement process across a broad range of suppliers, including increasing our focus on small businesses.
The Target Forward Strategy, and Supplier Engagement though new terminology still uses diversity and inclusion and equity language in its goals and processes. A video of some Supplier Diversity may be found here.
As mentioned in the introduction, though Target has contributed some resources to help the Black Community, my biggest problem with Target is that it is not adequately transparent. In particular, Target has no record on its website of what percent of the promised $2 billion spending to Black Businesses, Target has actually spent to date that I could find on its site as of March 2, 2025. That is something Target should have included in the January 25, 2025 announcement on DEI and other matters. To me it is okay if Target need more reasonable time past 2025 to meet its goal; it just needs to say that openly and give the new plan.
Target EEO and Diversity Reports
During the above discussed periods of time Target continued to issue its annual Diversity Reports as well as EEO Reports as listed in the References section below.
Target Website Menu Items Related to Religious Holidays and DEI
Below is pictures of target website menu dropdown items as of March 1, 2025. It shows Target provides areas on its website designed to take the user to products offered for Christian and non-Christian Holidays as well as by businesses in the certain identified EEO/DEI categories. This include recognizing special time periods set aside in society for certain categories. The first picture is the Categories menu dropdown. The second is the New and Featured menu dropdown.
Below Graphic is taken from taken from Target Forward website page on March 2, 2025
Target EEO Information for Years 2023-2021
Below is a series of Excel Spreadsheets I created from data in the Target EEO Reports for 2023, 2022, and 2021 in descending order. The original report data to include spreadsheets are available at the links listed in the Reference section below. The original data does not include percentages or total white (non-Hispanic) column as I added total calculations in my version of the spreadsheets.
Target Net Sales Information
Target Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Earnings:
Full-year Net Sales decreased 0.8 percent to $106.6 billion from $107.4 billion last year, reflecting a 0.1 percent increase in comparable sales as well as the benefit of sales from new stores and growth in non-merchandise revenues, offset by the impact of one fewer week of sales in 2024.
That is about $290 million per day in net sales.
Target Stock Price Information – See Reference Section for links to additional stock price and related information.
The References section below contain a host of additional information on Target EEO/DEI.
My article entitled Exploring Godly EEO & DEI discuss EEO/DEI more generally to include addresses other companies.
Also see my article entitled Exploring Godly National Morality, Socio-Economics, EEO/DEI, and Immigration Attitudes, Speech, and Actions .
References:
Target Equal Opportunity Statement — Look Toward Bottom of Page
Target Reporting Progress – scroll down for archived reports which includes DEI info.
Target DEI Analysis By/At Diversity.Com – says Target paid 1 billion to blacks noted in “2022 Diversity Report” but I could not find that in any available reports: 2022 Workforce Diversity Report or 2022 ESG Report
Target Workforce Diversity Report: 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Target EEO Report: 2023 2022 2021
Target Current Stock Price Information According to Target
Target Historical Stock Price Information According to Target
Target Corporate Giving – Gives Grants But Most are by Invitation Only
Target Contact Information including Social Media
Target Business Learning Center
Target Encourages Civic Engagement Among Team Members and Guests
Target’s Investment in the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s ‘Summer’s Better Downtown’ Campaign
Learn More About Roundel, Target’s Retail Media Business
Boycotts, Pushbacks, and Lawsuits of Target for Having and Canceling DEI:
Target Fast Website By Reverend Jamal Bryant and Others As of March 2, 2025 – Pledge for $2 Billion dollars made on April 7, 2021. Rev. Jamal Bryant reportedly said Black Americans spend $12 million per day at Target. Roland Martin Facebook post says “
Black consumers represent a significant portion of Target’s revenue—$29.9 million per day. A sustained boycott could have massive financial implications, potentially reaching $897 million in 30 days or $1.8 billion in just two months.
CNN Artiles on Target Getting Hit From Both Sides: Right/Conservatives and Left/Liberals
Florida AG Lawsuit Against Target
