Overview

• Target CEO Brian Cornell met Rev. Al Sharpton in New York to address backlash over the retailer’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives announced in January.
• Sharpton described the meeting as constructive and candid but has not yet called for a boycott, instead seeking commitments to support Black-owned businesses and communities.
• Target’s decision to end its three-year DEI goals coincided with a 10-week decline in foot traffic, as tracked by analytics firm Placer.ai, and broader consumer criticism.
• The rollback aligns with a trend among corporations reducing DEI efforts under political pressure, with companies like Walmart and PepsiCo taking similar actions recently.
• Local activists criticized the meeting, questioning why Target engaged with Sharpton instead of Twin Cities organizers who initially led protests against the policy changes.