The recent wave of consumer boycotts against corporations retreating from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives is reshaping the marketplace. As companies scale back commitments once touted as essential to racial equity, consumers are responding with one of the most effective tools at their disposal: their wallets. Among the businesses facing the most significant backlash is Target.
On March 5, CNN reported, “A 40-day Target boycott starts today. It couldn’t come at a worse time for the company.”
Target’s decision to scale back its DEI policies—eliminating hiring goals for minority employees and other commitments—has drawn sharp criticism. Many see the move as part of a broader corporate retreat, aligning with political shifts in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency. Target is one of dozens of Fortune 500 companies that have reversed course under pressure from right-wing legal groups.
But as the company distanced itself from DEI, consumers took notice. The response has been swift and unrelenting.
One of the boycott’s most vocal participants is Kiara Imani Williams, an attorney, entrepreneur, and co-creator of the card game LikeU. For Williams, Target’s policy shift was more than just a headline—it was personal.
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Williams, whose brand was among several African American-owned businesses dropped by the retailer, never expected to go viral. But when she shared her frustration in a TikTok video, her message quickly gained traction. What began as a candid reflection to just over 100 followers soon exploded into a national conversation.
In a series of follow-up videos, Williams detailed the shift she has witnessed in corporate engagement with African American-owned businesses. What once appeared to be a sincere push toward inclusion, she argued, has been overshadowed by performative commitments—marketing-driven gestures that ultimately failed to translate into tangible, long-term support.
Her words resonated widely. In just four days, her original TikTok video amassed 1.1 million views. The post was amplified by thousands, including high-profile figures such as Pastor Jamal Bryant, who shared it on Instagram.
At the core of Williams’s frustration is a sobering reality: despite making up a significant share of the consumer market, African American women entrepreneurs receive just 0.39 percent of all venture capital funding.
Still, they continue to create, build, and, against the odds, thrive.
“I’m nervous about speaking out. I’m not a celebrity,” Williams said in an interview. “I’m just a mom with massive student loans and a nine-to-five job who poured my personal savings into this business. I created LikeU to spark honest conversations—never imagining it would spark a conversation in this way.”
Williams is clear-eyed about the lessons learned from her experience with Target.
“I just wish they had been honest from the beginning. If it was always about the bottom line, I would have invested my time, money, and energy very differently,” she said. “I relied—at my own detriment—on the very public commitments they made to the American people. But I’m still here. I’m still building. I don’t believe Target owes us anything moving forward—they’re a for-profit business, and they’ve made it clear where their priorities lie.”
The power of consumer activism, Williams noted, does not rest in corporate pledges but in the collective action of everyday people.
“The real stars of this story are the people boycotting—the parents navigating food deserts, the ones driving past big-box stores with kids screaming in the backseat,” she said. “Their stories inspire me. African American consumers spend over a trillion dollars a year. We don’t need validation from big retailers. We have each other.”
Beyond LikeU, Williams is the author of “Therapy Isn’t Just for White People,” an attorney with nearly a decade of experience in entertainment law, and an advocate for mental health and inclusive storytelling.
For now, the Target boycott continues. Whether the company will reconsider its stance remains to be seen. But for Williams and the growing number of consumers choosing to withhold their spending, the message is clear: commitments to diversity must extend beyond marketing slogans—they must be reflected in action.
Watch Kiara’s original viral video here: Kiara’s TikTok Video
Watch Pastor Jamal Bryant’s repost here: Jamal Bryant’s Instagram Post
