Tabitha Brown Asks Fans Not to Boycott Target Over DEI Cuts

Target's recent announcement to rollback its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has sparked calls for boycotts, prompting vegan lifestyle guru and Emmy-winning actress Tabitha Brown to address the situation.

In a nearly 10-minute Instagram video, the popular influencer urged her fans to consider how a boycott could impact other Black-owned brands currently carried by the giant retailer.

Newsweek reached out to Target and a press contact for Brown via email on Monday for comment.

The Context

Target's DEI initiatives included hiring and promoting more women and members of racial minority groups—including the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities—as well as recruiting diverse suppliers.

Brown, who has partnered with Target since 2022, has launched multiple collections including swimwear, home goods, haircare, cookware, and food products. Her brand "Donna's Recipe" haircare products are sold at both Target and Amazon, while her seasonings are available at Walmart.

Why It Matters

The decision by Target reflects a broader trend of major corporations, including Walmart, Amazon, McDonald's, Ford, Harley-Davidson, and John Deere, reducing their DEI commitments.

This shift particularly affects Black and brown brands, and those owned by women, who have historically faced challenges securing retail shelf space.

Brown's Instagram Statement

In her video, Brown warned about the potential unintended consequences of a boycott on Black businesses: "So many of us would be affected. Our sales would drop and our businesses would be hurt. And if any of you know business, it doesn't just happen overnight—where you can just go take all your stuff and pull it off the shelves. There's a process. And then, where are you gonna put it? You gotta have a place to store it, and that's money. Then, you gotta have another place to sell it. Which is almost impossible sometimes."

She emphasized her primary concern: "The thing that concerns me the most—and I want you to hear me and hear me well—if we all decide to stop supporting said businesses and say, 'I can't buy nothing from there,' the business who were affected by the DEI ban, what that does is you take all of our sales and they dwindle down."

What People Are Saying

Kiera Fernandez, Target's Chief Community Impact and Equity Officer, said in a statement on the DEI rollback: "Many years of data, insights, listening, and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy. 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."

Gennette Cordova, award-winning writer said on X: "Too often the idea of being 'pro-Black' is framed as the Black community needing to support or being loyal to the handful of highly visible Black figures who've been elevated by the establishment in one way or another, and rarely ever the other way around."

Brittlocker, another X user said: "I don't like what Tabitha Brown said, because she is insinuating that the fate of her brand and other black brand is in the hands of boycotting black consumers, instead of placing blame on the actual companies rolling back DEI initiatives that will likely drop her."

Blogger Ashley Miller defended the influencer on X: "Yall were sitting in wait for that moment to show your hate and contempt for Tabitha Brown."

Another X user also came to Brown's defense: "Honestly, I understand Tabitha Brown's position and I sympathize with her. Same people who want to boycott Target are the same ones who are using X and Facebook and Amazon to voice their opinion, knowing the people who own these apps are POS too. The selective outrage is insane."

What Happens Next

We Are Somebody.org, which initially called for a boycott starting February 1st, has modified its approach to suggest consumers specifically support Black and brown brands within Target.

The response from consumers and the impact on diverse brands' sales will likely influence future corporate DEI decisions.