Target’s daughters, who are the daughters of one co-founder, have expressed their alarm and surprise at recent moves by the discounter to reverse diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which were attacked by conservative activists, and, as of last week, the White House.
Anne and Lucy Dayton wrote letters to the editors published in The Financial Times on Thursday and The Los Angeles Times on Friday. They said that their father Bruce Dayton and his four brothers expanded the Minneapolis department stores into a huge brand called Target, which was built around two principles: the focus on customers and the wellbeing of the community.
Bruce Dayton, 97 years old, died in 2015.
The daughters expressed their alarm at the speed with which the business community had caved in to the retaliatory threat of the current administration. It is not illegal for a company create a model of business based on the ethical and business standards it considers important.
The group added, “By cowering Target and other companies are undermining their very principles that made them successful.”
Target could not be reached immediately for comment.
Target announced in late January that it would be making changes to its “Belonging to the Bullseye Strategy” which included ending the program. The was created to help Black employees develop meaningful careers, to improve the shopping experience for Blacks and to promote Black owned businesses after the police killed George Floyd.
Target, a company with nearly 2,000 locations in the United States and more than 400,000 employees, announced that it had already planned to terminate its racial-based program by this year. The company said it will also complete the diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) goals that were previously set on a three-year cycle.
After the announcement, activists have called for a boycott of Target stores nationwide. At a rally in Minneapolis held late January, speakers said that they did not believe it was a coincidence when Target pulled back its diversity initiatives just a week prior to Black History Month.
Target has enjoyed the unwavering support of Minnesotans, families, and consumers from all over the country. “In the past, Target’s diversity initiatives and reputation as a supporter of diverse communities” were well-known,” said civil rights lawyer Nekima Armstrong. “Now Target is showing its true face.”
Twin Cities Pride – a longtime sponsor – said that the company was not welcome at their Pride event and refused to fund it with $50,000. The organization announced that community donations filled the gap less than 24 hours after the announcement.
Walmart, McDonald’s Ford, Goldman Sachs, John Deere, and McDonald’s are just a few of the consumer brands who have reduced or phased-out their DEI commitments over the past months.
Note that the video above first aired in 2025 on February 2.
