Target boycott Minnesota organizers say the boycott is still active despite reports that the national movement ended.
DEI
Posted inBusiness
Joblessness spiking among Black women
Upcoming job fair addresses this emerging crisis Terace Johnson has her pulse on Minnesota’s employment picture. As CEO of Spotlight Staffing, Johnson heads a business that specializes in recruiting employees for multiple industries, including health care, finance, accounting, skilled labor, manufacturing and education. She’s spotting a trend that deeply concerns her. “I’m seeing a growing […]
Posted inEducation
Educators and allies unite behind vision for public education
At the CBCF Annual Legislative Conference, educators and advocates called for urgent investment in schools, protection for vulnerable students, and teaching full American history. NEA leaders warned that disinformation, gun violence, and immigration raids are pushing students out of classrooms and urged policymakers to fund education and defend truth.
Posted inFinance
BrandLab gala aims to loosen tight funding
BrandLab Ignite Gala 2025 called for $300,000 to sustain inclusive talent pipelines as DEI funding tightens. Board chair Mary Beth George Puder and keynote Chufue Yang stressed diversity as a business imperative, spotlighting outcome-based funding, the Spark student pipeline, and labor partnerships that move BIPOC creatives into high-growth careers.
Posted inOpinion
An attack on Black people is an attack on democracy
This op-ed argues that Black Americans and democracy are bound together. Black struggle built and defended U.S. democracy, yet benefits often bypass Black communities. The question now is where the fight should go next.
Posted inOpinion
Labor Day 2025 finds Black worklife precarious
This Labor Day, a commentary assesses the State of Black work life in America, citing hostile policies, union rollbacks, and a widening employment gap that leave Black workers navigating bias while pushing for rights and stability.
Posted inEvents
Dr. Tonya Jackman Hampton redefines leadership through fear, not in spite of it
Dr. Tonya Jackman Hampton’s The Myth of the Fearless Leader is part memoir, part leadership manual—and a much-needed challenge to outdated, harmful ideas about fear, perfection, and presence in leadership. She’ll present the book on August 25 at Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis.
Posted inOpinion
Give people what they need to fight for racial justice
Talking about race can spark progress—or backlash. That’s why understanding racial equity is like takeoff: it takes strategy, patience, and stages. This piece outlines how to meet people where they are and keep moving forward.
Posted inOpinion
Reclaiming Juneteenth in a time of backlash
Cicley Gay of BLM reflects on Juneteenth as a celebration of Black joy and a call to resist erasure. “Freedom includes the right for everyone to play, to dream, and to live fully.”
Posted inOpinion
National selective buying campaign targeting Target continues
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has launched a National Selective Buying and Public Education Campaign in response to Target Corporation’s retreat from its DEI commitments, and is calling for companies to invest in their communities and partner with Black-owned media companies.
Posted inOpinion
Why we’re still not equal
Black Americans have endured centuries of systemic injustice, including slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, and mass incarceration, yet Trump’s administration is now targeting progress toward justice, including diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and even erasing Black military legends from official tributes.
Posted inOpinion
Fighting to keep Blackness
President Trump has stated that this country will be WOKE no longer, while Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell has demanded an immediate reversal of the sale of the historic Freedom Riders Museum in Montgomery, due to its connection to civil rights history.
Posted inBusiness
Target Takes a Hit: $12.4 Billion Wiped Out
Target Corporation’s decision to scale back its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts has led to a $12.4 billion decline in its stock value and significant backlash from its Black consumer base, with calls for a “40-Day Target Fast” and a Black Consumer Advisory from the NAACP.
Posted inPolitics
Schools, Colleges Face Threats of Being Defunded
The U.S. Department of Education has issued a directive requiring schools and universities to eliminate diversity initiatives or risk losing federal funding, sparking a legal battle on the horizon.
Posted inLocal & State
Defending Diversity: Attorney General Ellison Stands Firm on DEIA in the Workplace
The coalition of 16 attorneys general, led by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, has issued guidance reaffirming the legality and value of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives in workplaces across the country, despite concerns from businesses following a Trump Administration Executive Order.
Posted inOpinion
Public ‘watch list’ targets Black federal workers
A right-wing nonprofit has published the names and photos of over 50 federal employees, many Black, who support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, raising concerns about the potential for harassment, violence, and job loss.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
DEI rollback threatens Black/Native health program
The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, funded by the CDC, aims to improve the health of Black and other residents of color in Minneapolis by addressing chronic disease prevention and vaccinations, with some uncertainty about future funding due to changes in federal funding policies.
Posted inNational
NNPA launches campaign to hold companies accountable for DEI rollback
The National Newspaper Publishers Association has launched a national public education campaign to address the rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs by several major corporations, calling on Black consumers to reconsider where they spend their money and demand accountability from these companies.
Posted inBusiness
MN Spokesman-Recorder Launches Black Business Directory to Support and Elevate Black-Owned Businesses
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Black Business Directory is a new platform designed to highlight and promote Black-owned businesses in Minnesota, providing tools for businesses to increase visibility and attract more customers.
Posted inLocal & State
The Evolving Landscape of DEI in Corporate America and Its Impact on Recruitment
Several major companies, including Target and McDonald’s, have announced rollbacks on their DEI initiatives, sparking a debate about the future of DEI in corporate America and its implications for recruitment and workplace culture.