Target’s Hometown Tragedy Unearths its Struggles With Diversity
- Only two of the company’s 51 top executives are black
- Pledged $10 million for social justice, community rebuilding
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It’s called the “Minnesota Paradox”: the clash of progressive images and racial divides that roils the Gopher State. The puzzling phenomenon also exists at Target, whose downtown Minneapolis headquarters lies a short drive from the spot where George Floyd died at the hands of the police.
With a history dating back more than a century, Target is a pillar of the Twin Cities business community, and its red bullseye logo is ubiquitous. The retailer operates 56 stores in the region that employ more than 30,000 people. A generous donor to civic causes, it has reflected the cities’ oft-cited liberal image on issues such as transgender rights, guns and people with disabilities.