Twin Cities Pride asked Target not to attend this year, while some black businesses owners ask people not to buy at the retail seller.
Minneapolis – Andy Otto never imagined that he would be in the position of returning the target sponsorship money.
At the end of last week, the Executive Director of Twin Cities Pride was doing the opposite. Otto says he sent his annual email to ask about the level of sponsorship support that the local corporation would commit to this year’s celebration.
“I got an email again in the morning saying,” Hey, do you have a second to talk? ”, Says Otto. “I can say it was urgent, so I called and while I was on the phone, that literally encountered news.”
Otto is referring to the news that Target would join Walmart rival and some other prominent American brands in escalating diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives that have been attacked by conservative activists and the White House.
For years, Target has helped lead American corporate embrace for the rights and involvement of LGBTQ, and after the assassination of George Floyd, she made large investments in black -owned businesses.
At first, Otto says the local retail giant tried to secure it.
“Target came and said, this is what is happening, it does not change our support for the pride of the twin cities and being there, we are still committed to this,” Otto said.
But with the support between the LGBTQ community already strained by Target’s decision to attract some goods of pride in recent years, Otto said the decision to remove Dei’s efforts now forced the twin cities to pride not return that commitment.
Otto: “The right decision was to do what our community was looking for, and that would require them not to participate.”
Erdahl: “How big is a decision?”
Otto: “Its’ a $ 50,000 decision. The goal was a $ 50,000 sponsor, they were our second largest sponsor.”
Otto says money does not just help finance one of the country’s largest parades and free festivals, but also regional celebrations and programming. He is not sure where they will make up the lost money – including another sponsorship agreement they ended up with Walmart for the same reason – but he remains sure they will move forward.
“Am I worried? Absolutely,” he said. “Only within a week we’ve seen companies make it, but after the decision, we started a fundraising page. In less than 24 hours we are over $ 20,000, and we have already made a part of that $ 50 K that we missed.
We have also received support from other partners. Delta is our biggest sponsor and is staying with us with full strength, so we have others who continue to do the same.
“This is greater than a donation. That’s bigger than just changing a policy. This affects people’s lives,” he said. “We have to stand up. If we are ally, we must be an ally, even when it is difficult.”
“I’m not doing the targeted shopping”
Sheletta Brundidge, who owns Podcast Shelettamakesmelaugh.com, wrote an OP-ED just last month protecting customers to get their business to aim after Walmart announced that it was withdrawing its Dei programs.
Needless to say, she did not expect to defend for a target boycott just weeks later.
“The only power I have is my purchasing power, and black women have a tremendous power with their dollars,” Brundidge said. “I’m broken with my heart. I was one of the small businesses that took advantage of the initiatives they intend to implement after George Floyd died.”
Brudidge says Target’s decision to advertise with its Podcast network gave it a big boost financially and opened the door for many more opportunities.
“You talk about a sense of pride. We were all celebrating,” she said. “Not only that, it proved to me to other companies. When General Mills and Comcast and United Healthcare and any other companies say I was working with target, they thought, ‘oh, well if the target can Believe it, so we can. “
She says Trust also helped her reduce a $ 10,000 sponsorship from Amazon for her day of black entrepreneurs in the state Capitol next week, which had to help financing a scholarship and business owners from the whole state. But because Amazon also announced the end of his Dei program, she has now rejected that money.
“I will understand this and take the hit,” she said. “I have to do what I have to do, because I have 500 people who come to Capitol who trust me and I need them to know that I can’t be bought and sold. I have to stay in my word and my integrity and that that I believe and my company is built and based on celebrating and raising black people. “
Although some say a target boycott will also damage the black businesses that are still on the retailer’s shelves, the brundidge pushes back.
“Find those suppliers on their website, buy from them there,” Brundidge said. “Find another store that is selling their products. When Dr. King said don’t get on the bus. No one was on the bus. They stayed together in solidarity. Because it’s not about me, it’s for us.”