Several prominent corporations, such as Target, US Bank, and Best Buy, have come under fire for a recent diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiative. The companies have collaborated with a consulting firm to host a race-oriented career fair that seems to exclude white people.
The People of Color Career Fair is scheduled to take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this fall, where countless large corporations have pledged their sponsorship of the event. Aside from the three companies mentioned above, Delta Airlines, General Mills, the Minnesota Department of Education, and Minneapolis Public Schools will also support the race-based career fair.
US Bank’s Chief Diversity Officer Greg Cunninghan released a statement endorsing the DEI initiative, explaining how it aligns with his company’s diversity strategy. “At US Bank, we’re clear about our DEI commitments and what we need to do to diversify our workforce even more,” Cunningham said. He added that the event allows US Bank to “execute on various aspects of our DEI recruiting strategy.”
The career event for minorities is primarily organized by the consulting firm Rae Mackenzie Group, which focuses on DEI and promotes hiring practices on the basis of race. According to the firm, insufficient diversity in a company is “fatal” to the business.
“It doesn’t matter if your messaging is on point and you’re connected with Black-owned vendors and nonprofits, if People of Color aren’t joining and staying with your organization, then something is missing from your approach. A lack of diversity is fatal for your business,” the company claims.
The firm warns, “You simply cannot effectively lead your organization in the right direction if your organization lacks People of Color bringing their perspective and lens to your organization. If you’re not integrating your DEI strategy into every aspect of your marketing and communications, you’re falling behind.”
One of the major participants in this career fair, Target, has been constantly embroiled in controversy for its propagation of a woke agenda over the past year. In particular, the department store sparked intense backlash from conservatives over its LGBTQ-themed apparel, where some were even marketed toward children.
Throughout 2023, conservatives led several powerful boycotts that told large companies like Bud Light and Target that they disagreed with their politics. The American Tribune reported on comments from conservative entrepreneur Sarah Seifert, who founded PublicSquare, an app that allows consumers to shop with businesses that align with their values.
“There’s over 65,000 businesses now on the app,” Seifert said. “It allows consumers to be able to shop [at businesses] aligned with their values because there are so many businesses, from Starbucks to Burger King to Target, the list goes on and on, that are standing against the very things that many Americans … believe in.”
She continued, “There has to be a next step. Yes, stop shopping there, but where else do you turn? Well, you find the businesses — and, of course, I’m going to say go to PublicSquare to find them — and whatever you were getting at Target, let’s start getting it somewhere else,” she said. “It makes a difference, and it does actually impact society. It impacts culture. It is making a difference.”
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