To the editor: As members of the Dayton family, we are shocked and dismayed by Target’s rollback of its Racial Equity Action and Change and Supplier Diversity programs.
When our father and his four brothers transformed a family department store into the national retailer it is today, their work was based on a clear set of principles. They were excellence, a “customer is always right” mantra and a commitment to the well-being of their community.
Not only did they believe these to be high ethical standards, they also recognized them as strong business practices. The better the service, the happier the customer and the stronger the community, the better the business.
We are alarmed how quickly the business community has given in to the current administration’s retaliatory threats. It is not “illegal” for a company to create a business model based on what it believes to be important ethical and business standards.
By cowering, Target and others are undermining the very principles that have made their companies a success.
Anne S. Dayton, New York
Lucy B. Dayton, Helena, Mont.
