By ARRIANA MCLYMORE and SIDDHARTH CAVALE Reuters
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NEW YORK — Please don’t boycott Target: That’s the message from Black founders and influencers to consumers about a backlash against the retailer’s decision to end its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

With the U.S. political climate trending right, the Minneapolis-based company announced the move on Friday prompting calls for a boycott of its stores from labor advocacy group We Are Somebody and a Minneapolis city council member.

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The campaign would be aimed at hurting the company’s sales and preventing Target from profiting from products by minority-owned companies, advocates said.

But Black-owned companies and entrepreneurs urged against a boycott on Monday, saying they would lose revenue and consumer exposure, which would harm the brands more than the retailer.

“If we all decide to boycott … so many of us will be affected and our sales will drop —- our businesses will be hurt,” Tabitha Brown, an actress whose kitchenwares are sold at Target, said in an Instagram post. Target did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the boycott calls.

Building on previous inclusivity efforts, Target in 2022 set a goal of making a financial commitment of more than $2 billion to Black-owned businesses by 2025 and to have more than 500 Black-owned brands in its stores. The company has said it was on track to meet its goals. Consumers who want to boycott Target should instead spend their dollars on products from Black-owned businesses at the retailer, said April Showers, founder and chief executive of toy, apparel and home goods brand Afro Unicorn, which has been sold at Target since 2022.