July 6, 2025
The festival had to address some attendee frustrations as well as the Target sponsorship.
Amid reports of low ticket sales and disgruntled attendees, Essence Festival of Culture organizers explained why they had to keep their partnership with Target despite boycotts against the retailer.
The organizers addressed concerns over its ongoing sponsorship by Target while responding to another controversy surrounding its experiences. Attendees initially expressed their disappointment with the reintroduced Super Lounges that only allowed those with premium “VVIP” tickets inside.
After admitting that they “missed the mark” on the exclusivity of the lounges, the post’s comment section aired out other frustrations as well. Fans had more to say about the Target sponsorship in particular. Many in the Black community have boycotted the retailer after its cutback on DEI programs and initiatives.
“Now that that’s settled…let’s talk about Target,” commented one Instagram user.
Essence Festival did answer the comments, but kept things brief given their contractual obligations with the company. However, they did acknowledge “how it looks” to still hold a relationship with Target given the controversy.
The account responded, “let’s discuss for sure. We are on a multi-year sponsorship with Target. So we fully understand how it looks. Just wanting to speak to the contractual agreement.”
Target’s CEO, Brian Cornell, also released an statement on the platform’s website to affirm their company’s commitment to cultural upliftment, particularly through the festival.
“We at Target are grateful for our continued partnership with ESSENCE and extend our thanks to the team that brings this moment to life year after year,” wrote the CEO.
Cornell subtly addressed the boycotts plaguing the retailer with lower customer traffic and quarterly earnings. However, he thanked the Essence Festival and its overarching community for the honesty while asserting that Target is still amplifying Black owned-businesses.
“Over the past few months, you may feel like you’ve heard more about Target than you’ve heard from Target. And that’s fair,” explained Cornell. “I’ve been listening to our team, our partners, our guests and our communities; thank you for your honesty, your feedback and your patience. Let me be clear: our commitment to opportunity for all and inclusion is unwavering. These values are foundational to how we serve our guests, support our team and grow our business.”
Cornell then signaled their plans to complete their $2 billion investment toward Black-owned business as well as their Accelarator program for diverse entrepreneurs. The company aims to complete its $100-million pledge to Black led-organizations in addition to tuition assistance and HBCU student supports.
However, Cornell did not discuss how Target will, if at all, continue to build upon these initiatives to further equity and inclusion, especially as the DEI cuts remain in place. As for Essence, the festival did not disclose if they will continue their partnership past this year.
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