July 8, 2025
Social media users said the continuous partnerships with Black creators is Target playing in the faces of the Black community.
Target is facing backlash for continuing to partner with Black influencers, such as popular streamer Kai Cenat. Still, it has yet to adresss the dialing back on its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Collectively, the Black community is continuing to boycott the giant retailer after it sent shock waves in early 2025 by dialing back on DEI policies that had placed Black-owned products on their shelves. Civil rights and religious leaders, such as Revs. Al Sharpton, Jamal Bryant, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus have called on the CEO, Brian Cornell, to address the reasons why, but the calls have fallen on deaf ears.
Instead, the company continues to bypass the calls and partner with Black-owned brands like “TONE,” a personal care brand created by Cenat and his content collective, AMP (Any Means Possible), exclusively at Target. To announce the partnership, Cenat and AMP members, including other Black streamers Duke Dennis, Agent 00, ChrisNxtDoo, and ImDavisss, hosted a livestream sleepover inside a Target store.
While the boys celebrated the launch, viewers, including Bryant, who led the “Target Fast,” had a problem with it, questioning why the influencers would go along with it.
Bryant reposted the livestream on Instagram and stated that the problem isn’t with the boys, but with the corporations. “If @target would spend as much energy and resources meeting the demands of the target fast @targetfast40 as they are on influencers, paying preachers, and going to @essencefest, we would be further along,” Bryant wrote.
“Doing what’s right for our people is always made to feel like an inconvenience. Stand on business and don’t go back in until they handle us right!”
Others on social media tagged Cenat, warning the 23-year-old not to fall for the retailer’s DEI antics. Before Cenat’s partnership, Target received pushback after sponsoring the 2025 Essence Fest in New Orleans. Fellow YouTuber 19 Keys said the partnership could be bad business and damaging to the brand. “To the Amp group, Kai Cenat, don’t let Target use you!! Don’t be a sell-out to get your product sold out. Bad for business and brand,” he said in a video posted to X.
Social media users like @DonDadaRahRah said the continuous partnerships with Black creators is Target playing in the faces of the Black community. She also pointed out that working with Kai Cenat will not stop the boycott, as the damage is already done.
“Target is making it very clear they think the Black community can be bought…especially through influencers. What they’re missing is that the people who are actually carrying the boycott, the ones hitting their sales, aren’t the type to be swayed by that,” the user wrote.
“If someone had the integrity and willpower to avoid your store for six months, they’re NOT running back because Kai Cenat did a livestream there.”
The unisex personal care brand consists of body lotions, deodorants and lip balms all for under $15, according to WWD. For the Target rollout, Tone will add part of the rollout, including two new products: a body wash and a body mist called Cologne.
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