Al Sharpton holds 'constructive and candid' meeting with Target CEO over DEI initiatives
The CEO of Target met MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton on Thursday as the latter's organization puts pressure on companies that previously scaled back DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives.
Sharpton met with Brian Cornell, Target's CEO, to discuss how Sharpton has encouraged his followers to boycott the chain as it has reduced its DEI efforts. The news of the meeting was first reported by CNBC.
He called the meeting with Cornell "very constructive and candid," and said that he would "inform our allies, including Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, of our discussion, what my feelings are, and we will go from there."
Bryant is an Atlanta pastor who organized a Target fast for Lent to protest that chain's scaling down of its DEI policies.
Fox News Digital reached out to Target, Cornell, and Sharpton for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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In a reported statement to CNBC, Sharpton said that Target reached out to him for the meeting.
"You can’t have an election come and all of a sudden, change your old positions," Sharpton said. "If an election determines your commitment to fairness, then fine, you have a right to withdraw from us, but then we have a right to withdraw from you."
In January, President Donald Trump signed the executive order "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity" directing federal agencies to end all DEI practices and asking the private sector to "end illegal DEI discrimination and preferences."
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On Feb. 20, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a class action lawsuit with America First Legal, and law firms Boyden Gray and Lawson Huck Gonzalez, against Target for the company’s alleged intentional deception of investors regarding its "radical LGBTQ activism."
The lawsuit says that Target shareholders lost tens of billions of dollars and that the company "actively misled" investors, claiming that they would look out for the possible risks of their DEI and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies, but actually only tracked the response of left-leaning activist groups.
Part of Target's Pride merchandise that drew headlines in 2023 included an adult one-piece swimsuit featuring a "tuck-friendly construction" and "extra crotch coverage." The retailer also reportedly sold chest-binders.
Following the rollout of the merchandise, the store's market value fell to $57.7 billion from $74 billion.
In a Thursday post on Instagram, Sharpton wrote, "As attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion escalate nationwide, we’re standing up, not backing down. DEI is under siege, and some are acting like it’s already dead. But at NAN, we know the fight is far from over. Today marks 67 straight weeks of action. We’ve been on the frontlines outside Bill Ackman’s office in NYC, demanding accountability and pushing back on the corporate rollbacks. Now is not the time to slow down, it’s time to turn up."