It makes perfect sense for Target, which ranks 30th on the Fortune 500 list of America’s largest corporations, to harvest the brightest minds in urban America at such events as the National Black MBA Association Conference in Los Angeles.
That powerful partnership is just a microcosm of Target’s overall philosophy of community reciprocity and long-standing devotion to inclusion at the company.
“Our goal is to create economic and intellectual wealth in the black community,” says Kenya Jackson, Target’s vice president for marketing operations. “Our workforce reflects the communities we work in. At Target, diversity is not something we simply talk about. It’s what we think. It’s what we do. And as a diverse team, it’s what we represent.”
The hard numbers substantiate Target’s and Jackson’s commitment to invest substantially in the community, believing that significant resource appropriation will eventually produce fruitful dividends for both entities.
“Target has a strong history in giving back to the communities in which we do business, dating back to 1946. Target has given 5 percent of its income to support and enrich the communities that we serve. That equates to 3 million dollars every week to support education, arts, social services and volunteerism,” says Jackson.
Target also supports diverse communities through other partnerships with a plethora of organizations, such as INROADS, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Reaching Out MBA, the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting and the National Society of Hispanics.
“There are a few ways in which we serve, and we have a strong commitment in hiring and retaining a diverse team to ensure we can serve our guests. Diversity is an integral part of our culture. It’s who we are. Success is always better when it’s a shared effort,” says Jackson. –terry shropshire
