Tabitha Brown Faces Backlash Over Target Rebrand — Is She Being Used, or Just Doing Her Job?
Beloved lifestyle influencer and actress Tabitha Brown is known for her feel-good energy, her vegan recipes, her signature “like so, like that,” and her warm, affirming presence. But this week, sis is caught in a social media firestorm — and it’s not for anything she did, but for who she’s aligned with: Target.
Earlier this year, Target came under fire for quietly distancing itself from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives — something many believe was an attempt to appease political pressure and avoid backlash from conservatives amid rising cultural tension, especially under the shadow of a possible Trump return. And in the process, many Black creators, including Tabitha, were reportedly dropped or phased out.
Fast forward to now: Target is hurting. Its stock is underperforming, and its core customer base — including Black shoppers — isn’t showing up the way it used to. So what’s the move? Apparently, circle back to the people they distanced themselves from. Enter: Tabitha Brown.
This week, Tabitha posted about the boycott’s unintended impact — specifically, how it’s affecting Black authorswhose books are sold at Target. She shared that some Black writers are now struggling to hit sales goals and secure spots on major lists like the New York Times bestseller list.
On the surface, the message seemed earnest: Tab was trying to highlight how the community’s decision to boycott big retailers like Target could unintentionally harm Black creatives. But Twitter (or X) was not here for it. Many users called the post tone-deaf, with some accusing Tabitha of being a “corporate puppet” or a “sellout.”
The pushback came fast and loud:
“Tabitha girl we love you, but don’t let them use you as the face to fix a mess they created,” one user wrote.
Another said, “We’re not mad at Black authors not hitting their numbers — we’re mad that Target dropped DEI, dropped Black creatives, and now wants to guilt us into coming back.”
And honestly? They have a point.
Target hasn’t fully addressed or apologized for the strategic rollback of their DEI commitments, nor have they publicly acknowledged why they distanced themselves from those initiatives in the first place. To now suddenly return to Black creators and try to re-engage the community through familiar, trusted faces like Tabitha feels — to some — disingenuous.
But it’s also not fair to pin the blame solely on Tabitha. Let’s be real: she’s not a politician, she’s a businesswoman — and for years, she’s used her platform to uplift and represent Black women in big retail spaces where we’re often excluded. Her original Target collab was a cultural moment, full of colorful prints, natural hair mannequins, and everyday joy. She gave us us — on the shelves.
So is she being used? Possibly. Is she trying to use her platform to support other Black creators? Also yes. It’s a tricky line.
At the heart of this moment is a real conversation Black consumers are having right now: how do we hold corporations accountable without unintentionally harming Black workers, authors, and entrepreneurs caught in the middle?
It’s a complicated truth — boycotts work, but they also sometimes hit those we’re trying to protect.
For now, Tabitha hasn’t directly responded to the backlash, but her fans — and her critics — are watching. If Target truly wants to make things right with Black communities, it’ll take more than a repost from a familiar face. It’ll take honesty, transparency, and real action.
And as for Tab? Whether you agree with her post or not, she deserves grace too. She’s walking a fine line between business and community — a space many of us understand all too well.
Because in this economy? Even a soft-spoken vegan queen’s got to secure the bag. But at what cost?
