Target Fires 2 Executives Who Supported DEI Causes, Further Adding to Sales Woes

Target continues to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices despite ongoing customer pushback.

Bloomberg Law is reporting that after joining Target last summer to succeed retiring legal and compliance director Don Liu, who spent nearly nine years there trying to reduce the company’s outside counsel panel using DEI and other criteria, including efficiency and risk tolerance, Amy Tu is departing Target. Tu has discussed how early-life discrimination influenced her later support of DEI initiatives.

Christina Hennington, who has worked at the retail chain for over 20 years and was appointed chief strategy and growth officer last year, is also departing the company. Hennington played a pivotal part in spearheading a $2 billion initiative to assist Black-owned businesses and was a founding member of the company’s racial equity action and change group.

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The retail giant categorized both departures as “involuntary termination without cause.” Amid uncertainties brought on by tariffs and a boycott over its DEI retreat earlier this year, the business lowered its annual sales target last week.

Target revealed the reasons for both departures in a May 21 statement announcing the creation of a new “enterprise acceleration office” to boost operations and efficiency, but it declined to elaborate. Melissa Kremer, chief of human resources, will be in charge of the company’s legal and compliance department while it “conducts a comprehensive external search” for Tu’s replacement.

The Target Boycott Continues

The retailer’s decision to eliminate its DEI initiatives has resulted in consumer pushback of a kind the company had never experienced before.

In March, during Lent, which ended on Easter, Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church requested a spiritual fast regarding the merchant. Even after Lent, however, he told town hall attendees that the boycott would not cease.

Bryant directed visitors to a customized website called “Target Fast,” which noted that since the boycott began, the business has lost $2 billion and seen a nearly 60% decline in its stock price. However, Bryant says the aim is to continue.

“We didn’t ask Target to make a promise to Black people, they did it of their own will,” he said. “We are engaged in this battle because you don’t get to walk away from your public commitments to Black people and think there will not be consequences and repercussions.”

He continued: “I still firmly believe that our dollars can’t be taken for granted, and so until we are able to reach common ground, we’re going to stay off Target’s ground.”

And the people in attendance seemed to agree.

“Personally, I don’t want to go back,” said Nikki Porcher, who founded the organization Buy From a Black Woman. “I don’t think we should go back to Target. We are the economy. We are the ones supplying this country. When it comes to Black people, comes to Black business, we do the trends, we do the culture, we do the climate, we do it all.”