"To have a company like Target purchasing products [from a farm] that my grandfather started in the ‘40s is just amazing."
That’s Willie Scott, a third-generation farmer of Willie Scott Farms in Tattnall County, Georgia. Willie, along with Black farmers Stefan Price, Haywood Harwell and Bridgeforth Farms' Kyle Bridgeforth, supplied the cotton for t-shirts featured in our exclusive Black History Month assortment.
But these shirts are so much more than meets the eye. Just 1% of cotton produced in the U.S. comes from Black farmers, who have faced decades of systemic inequity to continue their work. With Target Forward, we aim to co-create an equitable and regenerative future together with our guests, partners and communities. Our partnerships with Black-owned family farms help us address racial disparities in agriculture, meet sustainability standards and advance our Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) commitment to spend more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025.
Partnering up for people and planet
Target’s fabric sourcing team, including Ethan Barr, principal, raw material sourcing, worked closely with the farmers to source the raw materials to bring the Black History Month assortment to life. Ethan says these important partnerships have a few key goals:
It’s about bringing Black farmers into the spotlight and sharing their products on a large scale. “I believe that we have a responsibility to provide market access in places where historically, access has not been available,” Ethan shares.
It’s about engaging our guests. “Understanding where your cotton comes from is important, and knowing who made it gives it that added accountability.”
And it’s about inspiring our Target team to continue to find ways to make a difference, too. “Target’s actions around REACH are incredibly important to empowering team members to work in this space. Giving team members a sense of responsibility to engage and move forward is really the power that Target has been able to harness.”
Learn more about how Target is amplifying and supporting Black creators, brands and suppliers, plus, check out how we’re celebrating Black History Month 2023.
