For BLK & Bold, Target's DEI retreat is "disappointing"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
BLK & Bold co-founders Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson. Photo: Courtesy of BLK & Bold
BLK & Bold co-owner Pernell Cezar is "disappointed" in Target's decision last month to retreat from its DEI promises, saying it not only hurts diverse business owners, but also consumers who want their products.
Driving the news: Companies like Target, Walmart and McDonald's are scrambling to rejigger, recast or just end their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and initiatives to avoid the wrath of the Trump administration.
State of play: Based in Des Moines, BLK & Bold launched in 2018 and was recognized as the state's fastest-growing company last year.
- The coffee company grew quickly thanks to its national distribution in major retailers like Target, which Cezar says worked to diversify its store suppliers long before 2020 and the Black Lives Matter movement. BLK & Bold first got on the store's shelves in January 2020.
Zoom in: Now, he says the pullback from these DEI initiatives is hurting the pipeline for small, diverse business owners who already struggle with the capital needed to grow their companies.
- Cezar, who worked for Target in retail merchandising, helped create a curriculum for the company's "Forward Founders" program that launched in 2021.
- The program helped early-stage Black business owners learn how to get their products on the shelves of major retailers. Cezar, who left Target after starting his company, doesn't know where it stands now.
What they're saying: Target did not respond to our request for comment, but its website notes that the program is "evolving" and makes no mention of Black business owners.
Yes, but: While some leaders in the Black community are boycotting Target, Cezar says BLK & Bold is still on their shelves, noting the precarious "economic risks" that making a drastic move like pulling merchandise can have on companies and their employees.
What's next: Cezar says they want to respond to what consumers are demanding, whether that's exploring working with additional retailers or even opening their own local coffee shop.