Heroes come in many forms—they might be historical figures, characters from a favorite movie, or even the people we look up to every day, like our moms, dads, teachers, colleagues and mentors. That’s the inspiration behind Target’s Black History Month product assortment celebrating African American Heritage and Heroes—designed, developed and curated by our own team members.
“For several years, Target has offered guests a Black History Month product assortment that pays tribute to African American artists, leaders and legends,” said Tawnya Artisst, product design & development director and co-chair of our African American Business Council (AABC)—one of Target’s diversity and inclusion employee resource groups that support our inclusive workforce through education, awareness and development opportunities, and provide business insights to help our products feel authentic, relevant and respectful. “This year, our teams set out to build on that tradition, creating a theme that encourages families everywhere to celebrate everyday heroes and even superheroes!”
The curation and development of the assortment was a team effort from start to finish. Team members from across the business—designers, merchandisers, engineers, sourcing specialists, store planners, diversity and inclusion team members and marketers—pooled their diverse backgrounds and experiences to bring the assortment to life though a highly collaborative process. It’s an example of how Target teams share the accountability for making sure the products we sell reflect the diversity of our guests, and that we offer inclusive products across our stores.
“I’m a big fan of superheroes, so as I worked through product details, I’d try to tap into 10-year-old me, like, what would he want to see?” said Le’Spencer Walker, product engineer and AABC member, who created the concept for the Heritage and Heroes theme. “That really helped drive the whimsical side of the assortment.”
Products in the assortment range from home décor and apparel to music, movies, and books featuring iconic art, images, artists and characters. There’s even a t-shirt with the word “Hero” available in adults’, kids’ and baby sizes.
“We hope that guests love the assortment, and that it makes them feel proud, not only of their history, but of themselves,” Tawnya said.
“A hero can be anyone,” adds Le’Spencer. “You could very well be someone’s hero!”
Ready for a look? Shop the full assortment in select stores and at Target.com.
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