Target says it is joining rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, the White House.

The news came as a shock to Andi Otto, executive director of Twin Cities Pride.  

“I had no idea this was happening until they called me yesterday morning,” he told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Otto says the move was especially surprising because of how and when the Minneapolis-based retailer launched its DEI programs — after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.  

“They really after George Floyd, it was incredible to see things in Target,” he recalls. “They were really focused on people of color, being their vendors, and you saw that in their displays and things like that.”

Target says the changes to its “Belonging at the Bullseye” strategy would include ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote Black-owned businesses following George Floyd’s murder.

Some store shoppers KSTP spoke with off-camera agreed with the change but most say they’re surprised the company would take this step.  

“I think it’s a poor move, don’t really see the point of it,” noted Olivia Holbrook of Minneapolis. “I would say not enough has changed in the past five years.”

“I don’t think it’s a good thing at all,” added Annika Peterson, also from the city. “I think diversity and equity make us all stronger, and these programs should stay around.”

Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it already had planned to end the racial program this year.

The company said Friday that it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles.

The goals included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups and recruiting more diverse suppliers, including businesses owned by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities.

Target has long been considered a fierce corporate advocate for the rights of Black and LGBTQ+ people.

In a memo to employees, Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, described the DEI decisions as a “next chapter” in the company’s decades-long process to create “inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all.”

“Many years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy,” Fernandez wrote in the memo, which Target shared Friday. “And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future.”

When asked why they chose to end these programs now, a spokesperson for Target pointed us to a statement on the corporate website saying in part, the company remains focused on “creating a sense of belonging for our team, guests, and communities through a commitment to inclusion.”

Experts say the U.S. civil rights landscape has undergone a massive transformation in the five years since much of corporate America adopted DEI goals in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that followed George Floyd’s death.

A 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions emboldened conservative groups to bring in or threaten lawsuits targeting corporate initiatives such as employee resource groups and hiring practices that prioritize historically marginalized groups.

Walmart, McDonald’s, Ford, Harley-Davidson and John Deere are among the well-known consumer brands that reduced or phased out their DEI commitments in recent months.

President Donald Trump this week signaled his administration’s agreement with conservatives who argue that policies designed to increase minority representation by considering factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation are unconstitutional.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending DEI programs across the federal government.

The order calls for revoking all DEI mandates, policies, preferences and activities, along with the review and revision of existing employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs.

“These are policies that were absolute nonsense throughout the government and the private sector,” the president declared.

But some Democrats have pushed back.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are American values,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. “It’s about economic opportunity for everyone.”

Still, some prominent companies have resisted public pressure to retreat from their diversity plans.

On Thursday, Costco shareholders rejected a proposal urging the wholesale club operator to evaluate any risks posed by its DEI practices.

According to preliminary results shared by Costco executives, more than 98% of shares voted against the proposal submitted by a conservative think tank based in Washington. Costco’s board of directors had recommended a no vote.

Apple’s board and the CEO of JPMorgan Bank also have expressed a commitment to preserving their companies’ DEI activities.

Getting corporations to withdraw from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and to stop sponsoring Pride activities have been goals of DEI opponents.

Steering clear of a backlash from conservative customers and organizations is something that Target has tried to navigate for a while.

As transgender rights became a more prominent issue in 2016, the company declared that “inclusivity is a core belief at Target” and said it supported transgender employees and customers using whichever restroom or fitting room “corresponds with their gender identity.”

But after some customers threatened to boycott Target stores, the company said that more stores would make available a single-toilet bathroom with a door that could be locked.

In 2023, Target removed some of its Pride Month merchandise after online complaints and in-store confrontations that the retailer said threatened employees’ well-being.

The company decided last year not to stock Pride Month products at every U.S. store.

Here at home, Otto says Twin Cities Pride is no longer using Target as a sponsor and will not have the company participate in its events.

“To see Target, that’s been a supporter of Twin Cities Pride for so many years, make this stance, it’s heartbreaking for us,” he says. “At Twin Cities Pride, we have to stand up for all of our marginalized communities, and just decided this is not the year for them to be celebrating with us.”