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Target forms REACH committee to steer racial justice efforts

Six-member executive body to offer diverse perspectives and expertise

Russell Redman

August 18, 2020

4 Min Read
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Target describes the REACH initiative as a “call to action” to drive “lasting change” at the company and show employees the roles they play.Target

Target Corp. has established the Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) committee to help guide its efforts to fight racism and advance social justice.

Announced Monday, REACH is aimed at marshaling Target’s size, scale, resources to promote change and foster racial equity in the communities it serves. The Minneapolis-based retailer said it has appointed six executives from across the company to the committee to provide diverse perspectives and expertise.

REACH committee participants include Christina Hennington, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for hardlines, essentials and capabilities; Laysha Ward, executive VP and chief external engagement officer; Djouma Barry, senior group VP of stores; Kiera Fernandez, VP of human resources and chief diversity and inclusion officer; Carlos Saavedra, VP of marketing; and Amanda Nusz, VP of corporate responsibility and president of the Target Foundation.

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The six-member REACH committee was created to help guide Target's efforts to fight racism and advance social justice.

“REACH will focus specifically on how we can drive lasting impact for our Black team members and guests,” Target Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell and the REACH committee members said in a letter to employees on Monday. “To determine where to focus, we’ve spent time with many of you, spoken with our guests, reviewed research and tapped into our partners to align around four areas of focus: team, guests, communities, and civic engagement and public policy.”

Related:Grocery retailers take stand against racism

Target described the REACH initiative as a “call to action” to drive “lasting change” at the company and show employees the roles they play.

On the employment side, Target said it aims to create a workplace where Black team members can “build meaningful careers and experience success at every level,” including through development, career progression and advancement. The company said it also will increase Black representation and reduce turnover at every level and institute anti-racism training and education for all workers “to build a culture of inclusion and equity.”

At the customer end, Target said it will look to create environments “where Black guests feel overtly welcome and see themselves represented across our products, marketing and shopping experiences.” That includes efforts to provide assistance to Black-owned and -founded businesses as well as to source and design “significantly more” products from Black creators, designers, vendors, agencies, contractors and suppliers, according to the company. The retailer, too, said it will partner with those “who share and uphold Target’s anti-racist policy standards.”

Related:Grocery retailers feel impact as nationwide protests escalate

Public support will include initiatives to accelerate the prosperity of Black communities, prioritize philanthropic investments and volunteerism to address racial inequities, and develop and remodel stores in tandem with community partners. Target said its work with policymakers will address key issues in its push to help stamp out systemic racism, including safety and police reform, education and economic opportunities. The company added that it also will back non-partisan efforts to “encourage fair, accessible and safe voting.”

In early June, Target and the Target Foundation unveiled a $10 million investment to support partners — including the National Urban League and the African-American Leadership Forum — in its efforts to advance social justice and help local communities rebuild and recover from the riots and protests sparked nationwide by the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25. Target’s store at 2500 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis was destroyed amid the civic unrest.

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Target is supporting the Summit Academy OIC with space in the Regional Acceleration Center (RAC) in North Minneapolis to help the academy establish the North Star Innovation Center (NSIC).

Earlier this month, Target announced its support of Summit Academy OIC with space in the Regional Acceleration Center (RAC) in North Minneapolis to help the academy establish the North Star Innovation Center (NSIC). Summit Academy trains nearly 1,000 adults in the Twin Cities each year with marketable skills in health care, construction trades and information technology, alongside a 10-week GED program. Students attend without paying any out-of-pocket tuition or student loans, and the NSIC will be a training center for careers in IT and new technologies.

“We’ve invested in North Minneapolis to support a strong quality of life for families in the neighborhood, and the Regional Acceleration Center is an important part of that investment,” Cornell said in a statement. “With its expertise in helping Black families and other residents overcome social and racial inequities, Summit Academy is an excellent community resource. We’re proud to welcome them to the RAC and to work together to advance racial equity in our hometown.”  

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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