Target is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programme along with other equity initiatives, the retailer has said, becoming the latest US firm to pull back these policies meant to boost racial and ethnic representation in workplaces.
Target said on Friday it was rolling back programmes aimed at promoting racial equity, called the Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) initiatives, this year.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order directing federal agencies to terminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, encouraging private companies to do the same.
“For Target, with an inclusive audience, this is their version of brand suicide,” said Eric Schiffer of Los Angeles-based Reputation Management Consultants, which advises US corporates and Hollywood celebrities.
Target’s move generated some backlash on social media. “Target is making a mistake by ending its DEI goals with its customer base being highly diverse,” said Sylvester Turner, congressman for Texas’s …