Boycotting Target? Tabitha Brown Explains Why It Could Hurt Black Businesses

by Grace Somes
Tabitha Brown || Image credit: @iamtabithabrown

Businesswoman Tabitha Brown has urged caution against widespread boycotts of Target following the retailer’s recent decision to scale back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

In a video shared on her social media, the vegan influencer revealed how these boycotts are doing more harm than good—not just for her brand, Donna’s Recipe, but countless other minority-owned businesses struggling to maintain a foothold on retail shelves.

“As disheartening as it is for me, I’m not the only one affected by this,” Tabitha Brown, who has released several collections including swimwear, home goods, haircare, cookware, and food, has partnered with Target since 2022.

In the nearly 10-minute video, she expressed her disappointment, explaining how difficult it is for Black-owned businesses to secure retail partnerships in the first place.

“It’s for everyone who is a woman-owned, minority-owned, and Black-owned business,” she continued. “It’s for so many of us who have worked so very hard to be placed into retail—to finally be seen and [have] a proof of retail because, contrary to whatever the world might tell you, it has been very hard for Black-owned businesses to hit shelves. Which is why it’s such a big deal when we do and finally land inside of retail. So, it is definitely heartbreaking to feel unsupported.”

In addition, 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 the 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.”

On Friday, it was revealed that the Minneapolis firm communicated through a memo to its staff that they would be halting their three-year DEI objectives, ceasing reports to external organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, and discontinuing initiatives aimed at increasing diversity on their shelves.

“However, I am in business in multiple ways: with Target, Walmart, and Amazon. I sell Donna’s Recipe and my haircare products on Amazon and in Target, and of course, I have a huge partnership with Target. I sell my seasonings at Walmart. I do business all over. Just like many other people,” Tabitha Brown explained. “And what I can tell you is, if we all decide to boycott and be like, ‘No, we’re not spending no money at these organizations,’ listen, I get it. And if that’s how you feel, Honey, I one thousand percent get it.”

Target’s choice mirrors a broader movement among significant companies such as Walmart, Amazon, McDonald’s, Ford, Harley-Davidson, and John Deere to scale back their commitments to DEI initiatives. This change significantly impacts brands owned by Black and brown individuals and those run by women, who have traditionally struggled to secure shelf space in retail environments.

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