This Ain’t About Target...Or Is It? (March 8, 2025)

I can see so many sides to things these days. And maybe that’s the problem. Or maybe that’s the key.

I’ve decided to join the boycott against Target. Not because I agree with every stance taken, but because I recognize alignment where it matters. See, I don’t have to be all in with someone to stand with them on an issue. I don’t have to vote for you to collaborate with you. I don’t have to agree with your entire platform to acknowledge when you’re making a point. But today, in America, that kind of thinking is rare. We pick a side and stick to it, no questions asked. Red or blue. Us vs. them. And that’s crazy to me.

But let me back up.

Target and I go way back. My mother is a Target shopper—she calls it Tar-jay, with that signature air of fancy we all know too well. And like many things, that habit trickled down. Target is also my one-stop shop. New pajamas? Target. Last-minute diapers? Target. Cute kids’ clothes? Let me browse Target first. And let’s not even talk about how much I spent in that store during Ziya’s first year. Bands. No exaggeration. I even had a Target registry for her. So this isn’t some casual decision. It’s layered.

But here’s the thing—this boycott wasn’t even intentional for me.

Honestly, I had already started pivoting how I “spend.” Between getting back to work and reassessing my financial habits, I naturally stepped away from shopping the way I used to. It wasn’t a hard stance or a big declaration—I just stopped. And then, as if the timing lined up on its own, the Target boycott came into focus. The DEI conversations were unfolding. The critiques of capitalism and consumer habits were louder than ever. And suddenly, this thing I had unintentionally leaned into became something I could stand on.

The boycott became my accountability partner. The community.

And I also see this as an opportunity. An opportunity for community. An opportunity to make a financial shift. An opportunity to choose where and how I show up. That’s what alignment really is. And yet, when I make a choice like this, some people automatically assume what that means about me. They box it in, slap a label on it, and move along without thinking deeper.

And that right there—that lack of critical thought—is one of the biggest problems we face today.

Let’s take something like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). You already know how I feel about that—how the work has been diluted, how the language gets co-opted, how real equity is rarely at the center. But here’s the thing: while I’m supposedly “boycotting” Target, I’m also on the frontlines of DEI work, even if my department doesn’t use that exact label. I work with students, I advocate for change, and I show up where I can make an impact. My life and my work are interconnected, just like all of ours are. And that’s exactly why we need to stop getting in our own way when it comes to seeing that both sides have points. And both sides are also… let’s be honest… a little crazy sometimes.

That’s the truth.

So what if we stopped choosing sides blindly and started thinking critically about who we are, where we stand, and how we want to engage? What if we focused less on who’s saying what and more on how things are actually impacting us? What if we moved with strategy instead of emotion?

Because the real problem isn’t what we think it is.

And that’s what keeps my mind racing lately—how much opportunity exists right now, and how many of us are too distracted to see it. As a lifelong learner, a researcher, a strategist, and (if I’m being honest) a bit of a conspiracist at times, I’m always trying to connect dots. Not for the sake of theories, but for the sake of truth. And when the dots actually matter, they lead to clarity.

Look at history. Look at patterns. Look at what’s been done and what’s still being done. The path forward isn’t unclear—it’s just uncomfortable. And maybe that’s why people avoid it.

So yeah, I’m boycotting Target.

But this ain’t about Target.. Or is it?