*Target’s latest move to launch TONE, a personal care brand with streamer Kai Cenat and his AMP collective, has ignited controversy amid a sustained boycott by Black communities over the retailer’s retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
As TheGrio reports, the collaboration, featuring Cenat, Duke Dennis, Agent 00, ChrisNxtDoo, and ImDavisss, was celebrated with a livestreamed sleepover inside a Target store. Yet, social media reactions revealed deep skepticism, with many pointing out the irony of Black creators aligning with a company that has yet to address its DEI rollback or engage meaningfully with critics.
Pastor Jamal Bryant, spearheading the “Target Fast” boycott, scrutinized the retailer’s priorities, writing on Instagram, “If @target would spend as much energy and resources meeting the demands of the target fast @targetfast40 as they are on influencers, paying preachers, and going to @essencefest, we would be further along.”
He emphasized that the issue lies with Target’s leadership, not the influencers, urging continued resistance until the company addresses community concerns. Journalist Jemele Hill called Target “spineless.”
“They don’t want to anger Donald Trump, so they won’t publicly apologize or rectify what they’ve done,” Hill added. “Instead, they’re going to keep throwing checks at certain members of the Black community, hoping we will lose our will to fight.”
Scroll to continue reading
Hill warned that Target may soon partner with a major Black celebrity to sway public opinion.
“They’re just waiting to give the right Black celebrity a check so that it will galvanize people to return,” she commented.
Target’s CEO Brian Cornell responded, saying, “Over the past few months, you may feel like you’ve heard more about Target than you’ve heard from Target. … Let me be clear: our commitment to opportunity for all and inclusion is unwavering.”
Meanwhile, the boycott’s impact was evident at this year’s Essence Festival, where TikTok videos showed sparse crowds at Target’s booth, a stark contrast to previous years.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Target Rolls Out Aggressive Back-to-School Discounts to Regain Customer Trust
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
