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Target has reportedly dropped several Black vendors amid its DEI rollback.
Earlier this week, TikTok user Kiara Imani took to the platform to urge her followers to not shop at Target after the retail giant dropped its contract with LikeU Cards, a conversation-starting card game for parents, kids, and friends.
Kiara said LikeU Cards was among several Black vendors that Target pulled from its shelves.
"People keep asking my opinion about Target as a Black vendor who used to sell at Target. Don't go there," Kiara said in her TikTok video. "They dropped us along with a bunch of other Black vendors without a lot of notice."
The TikTok creator noted that her company is now struggling to sell 20,000 units through its website, likeucards.com, after being dropped with little notice.
"There are tons of other creators of colors that had contracts that were dropped," Kiara emphasized.
Reports of Target dropping several Black vendors come after the retailer said on Jan. 24 that it would end DEI initiatives this year, including a program to support Black-owned businesses that it adopted following the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
Target joined Walmart, Amazon.com, and several other prominent companies to scale back such initiatives, which have been attacked by many conservatives, including President Donald Trump.
While some Black entrepreneurs, like Tabitha Brown, have urged consumers to keep shopping from small and minority business vendors at Target, many others are directing shoppers to boycott Target over its attack on DEI. There are several ongoing Target boycotts, including a 40-day fast started by Georgia pastor Jamal Bryant.
TikTok users applauded Kiara for speaking out against the major corporation.
"I need Target to end up like Sears immediately!" one user said.
"This is why Target deserves whatever is happening to them. They didn’t just roll back DEI. They actively continue to try to monetize off of diversity and inclusivity while turning their back on POC," a second TikToker commented.
"At this point, this is discrimination not DEI," a third person wrote.
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