Education

Why Target Is Investing In HBCU Students


In 2021, Target partnered with the United Negro College Fund to support 1000 students in their first year at the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This month, the retail store is at it again, and has committed to supporting the students with another $10,000 each over the remaining years of their undergraduate education. The program is called the Target Scholars.

According to Damu McCoy, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Target, “I am proud of the investments we are making in the next generation of Black talent and the Target Scholars program is a great example.” He added, “This work is deeply personal to me as a Black leader. Building the next generation of Black leaders will enhance the overall leadership pipeline not just at Target, but for companies around the globe.”

In addition to financial support, the Target Scholars receive access to workshops, mentoring, and internships. Students also receive coaching from UNCF College Success Coaches, positions funded by Target and uniquely created to help each Scholar navigate their college journey. Neshonia Armstrong is one of these coaches, and for her and her peer coaches, it all centers on the difference they are making in the lives of their mentees. According to Armstrong, “What I appreciate the most about the Target Scholars program is the impact it has on the young Black and Brown scholars that we serve,” She added. “Target Scholars receive wrap-around services that are what our scholars need to thrive and succeed as they go on their academic journey. Being a part of the Target Scholars Program has helped the scholars we mentor not only create a sense of community, but it also provides a safe space for our scholars to learn and grow together.”

Princess Dandoo, a student at Spelman College, is a Target Scholar. Prior to participating in the program, she was feeling somewhat overwhelmed and lacked confidence as she pursued her college education. In Dandoo’s words, “The Target Scholars Program gave me a glimpse of hope and something to look forward to, and I’ve been able to connect myself with a collegiate group of scholars who all have similarly extreme dreams. I’ve been blessed with a community of understanding Black men and women.”

Darrian Belcher, a student at North Carolina A&T State University agrees, noting, “I truly appreciate the funding that the Target Scholars Program provided to help me achieve my dream of higher education. Being a Target Scholar has lifted an enormous financial burden from my family, and has provided me with a community of peers to learn and grow with.”

As a result of Target’s engagement with HBCUs and HBCU students, the company has seen an increase in its hiring results. According to McCoy, “We hope Target Scholars will consider a career at Target when they graduate. With this program, we prioritize the role that Target can play in investing in Black talent to help students get to their career destination whether that is Target or elsewhere.” More than 1,400 Target employees are HBCU alumni. Many of them provide input into the Target Scholars program and the company’s other HBCU initiatives.

Target is focused on HBCUs because of their disproportionate success in graduating African American students, especially those who are first generation college students and from low-income families. The Target Scholars Program is just one of the HBCU-related efforts spearheaded by Target as part of their Target Forward equity plan. The company has also implemented HBCU Technology, Leadership and Design challenges to expose HBCU students to professional and technical challenges with the goal of growing their leadership, technical and professional skills and special Target Lab events to help students expand their professional experiences. According to Target’s recent progress update, the company met or exceeded almost all of its goals from the last three years, including increasing officers of color representation by 33% – now one in three officers at Target is a person of color. Target has also significantly increased promotions of people of color by 62%.



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