Bonding with strangers in Target + Juneteenth

Jun 19

Standing in Target holding a pack of the only nighttime pull ups that seem to work I heard a voice call out, "You know we're not supposed to be here, right?". I turned to find a young Black woman at the end of the aisle holding a bag of potting soil. Simultaneously I felt a little defensive but also completely seen by this stranger.

Ultimately we landed on, "You knooooow, we're doing our best!" and "Respect!". This was one of the realest conversations I've had in a long time and I was grateful for it. I wasn't alone in the guilt I felt for shopping there.

Until February I was a Target superfan. As a mom it was a place I could tackle multiple needs in one swoop; toilet paper ✅, Black Girl Sunscreen ✅, pajamas ✅, decorative pillow embroidered with Black women to gift my mom ✅, this list could go on!

I absolutely felt like I was supposed to be at Target. They were the corporation I felt less icky (dare I say happy) shopping from. The corporation who appeared to treat their employees well and whose values aligned closest to mine.

Which is why this winter felt like a betrayal for how swiftly they bent a knee to the sociopath in power by rolling back their DEI initiatives. Target had done something most massive companies had not been able to achieve. They cultivated a "sense of belonging". This unique position backfired by admitting they were just another corporate machine.

It was a wake up call to shop locally and mindfully. I've spent significantly less money with Target and Amazon this year. So when I need that pack of pull ups that I can't get anywhere else, I'll just remind myself that I'm doing my best and show grace to everyone else doing the same.