Abdelrahman
Target Co-founders’ Daughters Voice Concern Over DEI Rollbacks
NEW YORK — The daughters of a co-founder of Target have expressed their distress regarding the retailer’s recent decision to reverse its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. These changes have been criticized by conservative activists and have garnered attention from the White House.
Anne and Lucy Dayton articulated their concerns in letters to the editor published in The Financial Times and Los Angeles Times. They highlighted the foundational values instilled by their father, Bruce Dayton, and his brothers, who transformed a Minneapolis department store into the well-known Target brand, emphasizing a commitment to customer satisfaction and community welfare.
Bruce Dayton passed away in 2015 at the age of 97.
“We are troubled by how swiftly the business community has capitulated to the current administration’s threats,” the Dayton sisters stated. “It is not against the law for a company to adopt a business strategy based on its core ethical and operational principles.”
They further asserted, “By succumbing to pressure, Target and similar companies are compromising the very values that have propelled their success.”
As of now, Target has not responded to requests for comment.
In late January, Target announced adjustments to its “Belonging at the Bullseye” strategy, which included the termination of a program aimed at assisting Black employees in advancing their careers, enhancing the shopping experience for Black customers, and supporting Black-owned businesses—a response initiated after the tragic police killing of George Floyd in 2020.
Target, which boasts nearly 2,000 stores across the United States and employs over 400,000 individuals, indicated that the discontinuation of the racial equity program was already planned for this year. The retailer also stated it would be ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals, which had been established in three-year cycles.
Prominent brands like Walmart, McDonald’s, Ford, Goldman Sachs, and John Deere have also scaled back or phased out their DEI commitments in recent months, reflecting a broader trend in the corporate landscape.
